Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français, 1780, ee 172 (bis) : Camisolle à la Polonois (...) 1780

This fashion plate by Jean Joseph Pelissier, circa 1780, depicts a lady in a ‘Camisolle à la Polonois.’ The exaggerated silhouette, with its puffed skirt and towering bonnet, speaks to the era's obsession with artifice and status. Consider the bonnet – a symbol of domesticity, yet here, inflated to an absurd scale. This echoes the ancient Greek "kalathos," a basket-shaped headdress worn by goddesses, symbolizing abundance and fertility. But in this Rococo context, the bonnet is less about sacred power and more about secular display, highlighting the transformation of symbols over time. The ribbon decorating the dress can also be found across different periods. The symbolism of the ribbon dates to ancient times, when it was considered to be a representation of the connection between life and spirituality, as it resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts. Such images of ornamentation and extravagance undoubtedly stirred the collective unconscious, provoking desires and anxieties related to social identity and material wealth.