Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français, 1776, C 15 : Coeffure Bourgeois (...) 1776

Editor: So this print, “Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français, 1776”, presents a collection of Rococo hairstyles. They're quite extravagant, aren't they? Made of watercolor illustration on, perhaps, laid paper. What’s striking to me is the contrast between the seemingly effortless elegance and what I imagine must have been quite a labor-intensive creation process. What catches your eye in this image? Curator: Absolutely, the materiality here is key. Let’s consider the physical making. How were these towering hairstyles achieved? Think of the hours spent by the *coiffeurs*, the use of wire frameworks, padding, perhaps even pomatum – a perfumed ointment – all requiring skilled labor and specific raw materials. These weren't just hairstyles, but constructions built upon the head. And then, consider the paper and the ink used to disseminate this image. Do you think these materials tell a story beyond aesthetics? Editor: Well, now that you point it out, definitely. The print itself, mass-produced to some degree, makes these aristocratic styles accessible, at least visually, to a wider audience. Does that democratizing element somewhat challenge the exclusive nature of high fashion at the time? Curator: Precisely. We are confronted by tensions inherent in production of luxury and its representational form that could reach consumers, even if they could not purchase it, raising aspirations and potentially feeding social discontent. These images of high fashion circulated, demonstrating exclusivity while simultaneously making it more available for scrutiny. Notice the different *coiffures*. They are not identical and it raises the question: was this all about the consumption? Or did making and labour enter here? Editor: It's amazing how a seemingly simple print reveals so much about the complex social and economic structures of the time. I hadn't thought of the labor involved as something inherently a part of the piece itself. Curator: Indeed, and hopefully you'll think more critically about the means and the labour of representation when viewing and creating art!