A gentleman, seen from behind, walking towards the right with a cane and wearing a plumed hat, from "The Garden of the French Nobles In Which One Can Pick Up Their Way of Dressing" 1629

Abraham Bosse created this etching, titled "A gentleman, seen from behind, walking towards the right with a cane and wearing a plumed hat, from 'The Garden of the French Nobles In Which One Can Pick Up Their Way of Dressing'", likely in the mid-17th century. Bosse lived in a time of rigid social hierarchy, and his works often meticulously documented the sartorial choices of different social classes. Here, we see a nobleman strolling through a garden, his elaborate attire broadcasting his status. The plumed hat, the carefully styled hair, the decorative cane—each element speaks to a culture obsessed with outward appearances as markers of identity. But consider the gaze offered: we see him only from behind. What does it mean to see status, but not the individual? Bosse invites us to consider the performance of identity and how clothing and accessories can both reveal and conceal aspects of the self. Consider, too, the title—"in which one can pick up their way of dressing." It suggests fashion is not just about aesthetics but about social positioning, about learning to "dress the part" to ascend the social ladder. The work captures a specific moment in time and extends an invitation for us to reflect on the broader themes of identity, class, and the ever-present human desire for social mobility.