Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costume Parisien, 1805, An 13 (624) Robe et Manteau de Cour 1805

Horace Vernet made this print, “Robe et Manteau de Cour,” in France in 1805, showing a courtly fashion from the Journal des Dames et des Modes. Fashion plates were a powerful medium for circulating ideas about style and social status in the early 19th century. Publications like the Journal became key institutions in shaping taste and dictating the visual codes of elite identity. This image presents a woman in an elaborate court dress, complete with a feathered headdress and long train. The high-waisted silhouette reflects the influence of classical aesthetics on contemporary fashion, a visual trend linked to broader cultural shifts. To fully understand this print, we might look at the history of French fashion, the rise of consumer culture, and the role of the fashion press. We can then consider how the image both reflected and shaped the social norms and aspirations of its time. The visual and material culture of this time and its impact on the making of art is something worth researching.