Marie Antoinette: The Queen of Fashion: Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français 1781

Nicolas Dupin’s engraving presents an image from the Galerie des Modes, a fashion plate illustrating the elaborate styles worn by elite women in late 18th-century France. This image captures the opulence of the French court, where fashion was both an art form and a symbol of social status. In the decades before the French Revolution, fashion became intrinsically linked to the monarchy, and to Marie Antoinette in particular. The portrait depicts a noble woman, her hair styled by the Queen’s hairdresser. Enormous wigs adorned with flowers and feathers became a symbol of the decadence of the French aristocracy. Through fashion, women of the court sought to express their identities, but these displays of wealth occurred during a time of growing economic disparity, contributing to the widespread discontent that ultimately fueled the French Revolution. The engraving is a potent reminder of how personal expression can be deeply intertwined with broader social and political realities.