La Mode, 29 décembre 1832, Pl. 274 : Bonnets de blond (...) 1832

Georges Jacques Gatine’s “La Mode, 29 décembre 1832” presents us with two women adorned in the height of fashion, their bonnets elaborately decorated with ribbons and lace. Ribbons, seemingly innocent adornments, are powerful conveyors of status and identity. Throughout history, ribbons have signified allegiance, rank, and even emotional states. In medieval times, knights wore ribbons as tokens of their lady’s favor. The ribbons, a symbolic link between individuals, resurface in portraiture across centuries. Think of the countless portraits where sitters wear ribbons denoting membership in orders or societies. Here, in Gatine’s print, the ribbons take on a more intimate role, signifying femininity and domesticity. Yet, these symbols have a cyclical progression. They evolve and resurface, each time imbued with new meanings, engaging us on a subconscious level.