Plate II from Cabinet des Modes 1 - 1786

Editor: So, this is Plate II from Cabinet des Modes, made in 1786 by A.B. Duhamel. It looks like a print, possibly with watercolor. I’m immediately struck by the figure’s...height. That enormous hairstyle just makes her so tall. What do you see in this piece, especially with those intense symbols of the time? Curator: The towering hairstyle itself is a potent symbol, isn't it? It represents excess, status, and the artificiality that defined aristocratic life. This wasn't just about fashion; it was a statement of power and wealth. Do you notice how it almost obscures the face, reducing the individual to a mannequin displaying status symbols? Editor: Absolutely! It's almost like the clothing and hair are wearing her, rather than the other way around. Is that deliberate commentary? Curator: It's certainly open to interpretation. The late 18th century was a time of immense social and political tension. Consider the powdered wig: it was adapted to symbolize wisdom and authority. What cultural anxieties might these excessive adornments betray, anxieties the French revolution would address so violently soon after? What does that almost dismissive gesture of her hand signify to you? Editor: It's interesting you mention the political tensions. It’s like she’s gesturing towards some future upheaval she doesn’t even see coming. Now that I think of it, the colors and delicate lines make it appear rather fragile, almost as if the artist anticipates it won't last for long. Curator: Precisely! This print, seemingly just a depiction of fashion, holds within it a premonition of societal change. Every detail, from the height of the hair to the fall of the skirt, whispers a tale of impending transformation. Editor: This makes me consider the image quite differently. I thought it was simply a record of fashion, but I now realize it's a much more nuanced portrayal of a society on the brink of radical change. Curator: Exactly! And the image, therefore, carries much more than fashion’s history. We see the cultural memory of an impending end – a silent testament that images are rarely ever *just* images.