Le Moniteur de la Mode, 1861, No. 636 : Toilettes de R.Lhopiteau (...) 1861

Jean-Baptiste Réville's "Le Moniteur de la Mode, 1861, No. 636" presents a chromolithograph that captures the fashions of its time through the careful arrangement of line and color. The composition is split between two figures, each displaying a distinct silhouette. The figure on the left with the blue and white dress, offers a checkered pattern, while the other on the right with the purple dress, exhibits bold geometric shapes. Réville employs a semiotic system where clothing functions as a signifier of social status and taste. The elaborate details in each dress, from the texture of the fabrics to the precision of the embellishments, speak to the era's cultural codes and values. The artist plays with structural oppositions - soft versus sharp, light versus dark- suggesting a subtle commentary on the constructed nature of beauty and the role of fashion in defining identity. The print doesn't just reflect fashion; it engages with the broader discourse on representation and perception.