Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costume Parisien, 1805, An 13 (668) Costume Paré. 1805

Horace Vernet created this print, "Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costume Parisien, 1805," as part of a series documenting Parisian fashion during the early 19th century. Vernet was born during a period of immense social upheaval, shortly before the French Revolution, and came of age during the Napoleonic era, deeply impacting his artistic sensibilities. The print depicts a woman in a high-waisted, white dress, accessorized with a red shawl and yellow ribbons, embodying the Empire silhouette popular at the time. These fashion plates weren't just about clothing; they were signifiers of class, gender, and cultural identity. What did it mean to be a fashionable woman in post-revolutionary France? This image captures the nuances of how elite women navigated their identities through fashion, in a society undergoing rapid transformation. It serves as a window into the aspirations and self-expression of a specific group of women, reflecting both the constraints and the freedoms of their time.