De Bazar, 1884, Nr. 21, Pl. 590 1884

This print from 1884, published by the Dutch firm Gebroeders Belinfante, depicts two women and a child in fashionable dress. Produced at a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization in the Netherlands, it reflects the rise of consumer culture and the growing importance of fashion as a marker of social status. Fashion plates like this one served as a form of visual communication, circulating new styles and trends to a growing middle class. The detailed rendering of the women's dresses, with their elaborate embellishments and carefully chosen accessories, speaks to the importance of outward appearance in 19th-century society. Note the rigid separation of genders and generations, expressed through the contrast between the women's formal attire and the child's more practical clothing, gesturing towards evolving notions of childhood. To fully understand this print, we might consult fashion journals, social histories, and economic data from the period. These resources can shed light on the social meanings and material conditions that shaped the production and consumption of fashion in the Netherlands during this era.