Journal des Dames et des Modes, editie Frankfurt 27 octobre 1806, Costume Parisien (44): Grande Parure 1806

This hand-colored engraving, ‘Grande Parure’, by J. Neubauer comes from the Frankfurt edition of the Journal des Dames et des Modes, dating from 1806. It captures a Parisian fashion of the time: the high-waisted dress, the shawl, the delicate embellishments. But the image is more than a record of passing styles. Fashion journals like this one played a crucial role in shaping and disseminating ideals of femininity and taste across Europe. They were key instruments of cultural exchange, reflecting and reinforcing social hierarchies, as well as a nascent print industry. Consider, for instance, the emphasis on elegance and refinement; these weren't just aesthetic qualities, but social ones, signaling status and belonging. As an art historian, I'm interested in the economic structures and global trade networks that underpinned the production of these garments. Scholarly resources such as trade records, and social histories of fashion offer us a more complete picture. By examining these images through a wider social and institutional lens, we gain insight into the complex interplay between art, commerce, and culture in shaping the modern world.