The New Fashioned Phaeton 1776

Editor: This is "The New Fashioned Phaeton," a 1776 engraving by Philip Dawe currently housed at The Art Institute of Chicago. The contraption depicted is wild. It looks like the love child of a carriage and a construction lift! I can’t help but wonder… what's going on here? Curator: Ah, Dawe’s print—a delicious satire! Think of it as a visual zinger aimed squarely at the outlandish excesses of the fashionable elite in late 18th century England. Notice the lofty perch of the Phaeton, and how it's elevated almost comically. Consider this with the title's tagline: *Sic Itur ad Astra.* “Thus one travels to the stars!” Isn’t the implicit pompousness hilarious? What feelings do you have about those enormous wheels leaning on the house wall? Editor: I do think the carriage being higher than a balcony is a bit much, especially considering how ornate it is, and those giant carriage wheels crammed against the building definitely highlight that this style of vehicle is rather impractical for the streets! What’s your reading on the bystanders? Curator: They really set the scene, don't they? The onlookers, a mix of awe and incredulity, they anchor the work in the everyday world, turning the extravagant “Phaeton” into a spectacle. There's almost a "wait 'til you see this!" quality, the way they are positioned observing it. But also, note the precariousness of the elevated carriage. Editor: You mean it is just waiting to tip over? So, it’s both outlandish and unstable? I wonder what the artist was implying. Curator: Perhaps that fashion, like this contraption, can be both absurdly elevated and inherently unstable, vulnerable to collapse under its own weight? It’s Dawe cleverly poking fun at the fleeting nature of trends, don't you think? Editor: It is starting to come into focus, all this in one piece: satire about the fashion trends of the elite. I appreciate the humorous take on it!