Petit Courrier des Dames, 1824, No. 211 : Robe de gros de Naples (...) 1824

Curator: Let's take a look at this fashion plate, "Petit Courrier des Dames, 1824, No. 211: Robe de gros de Naples..." published in 1824. These plates circulated widely, influencing fashion and consumption among the rising bourgeoisie. Editor: Oh, I love the pink! It feels so innocent, like a sugar-sweet daydream. Those enormous sleeves are just begging for a dramatic sigh. What are we looking at exactly? A design for a dress? A fantasy? Curator: Exactly! The print itself is a watercolor illustration on toned paper. Note the "Robe de gros de Naples," Naples silk dress—a key commodity. And that elaborate hat... Materials matter! Fashion magazines of the time created aspirations. Consider how production changed with textile mills to feed this desire for dress and adornment. Editor: Fascinating! The whole thing has such a delicate, almost brittle feel, even just looking at the lines and the faded tones. It speaks to a time of great beauty and immense social constraints, all bundled up in ruffles and ribbons. I find myself pondering how unbearable it would have been to sit properly like that! Curator: Indeed, unbearable for some, a marker of belonging and success for others. This imagery supported the textile industries. Examining these images, the textures, colors and detailing gives clues as to their origin, labor practice and ultimately their role in society. Editor: I suppose if you can’t join them, sketch them. I see the two figures—the upright fashion plate of our dream and our dreamy sketch in the mirror; and can imagine that a restless lady made the sketch when sitting through an insufferable social situation. Curator: It’s all very strategic of its time! Editor: Agreed. It certainly reveals more than just a pretty frock. It speaks volumes about status, materiality, and imagination! Curator: Well put. Now that we looked at those ladies let us look at a later portrait.