Vrouw in avondkleding 1802 - 1855

Carl Cristiaan Fuchs made this print, titled 'Woman in Evening Dress', sometime between 1812 and 1855. Note the dress's high waistline and the elaborate headwear, which were hallmarks of early 19th-century fashion. But what strikes me most are the tassels hanging from her waist. Tassels, often made of silk or wool, have long served as ornamental additions to clothing and interiors across cultures. In ancient Egypt, they adorned the attire of pharaohs, symbolizing status and power. Their presence speaks to a deeper human desire for embellishment, a way of signifying wealth and refinement. Tassels resurface in Renaissance paintings, decorating the robes of nobility, and in 18th-century Europe, adorning curtains and furniture. Like an echo through time, these decorative elements appear and reappear, accumulating new layers of meaning with each era. Each iteration carries a whisper of the past, a subtle reminder of the continuity of human expression.