Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français, 1780, jj 197 : Lévite simple vue par derrièr (...) 1780

This is an engraving by J. Pelicier, titled 'Lévite simple vue par derrièr(...),' created around 1780. Notice the figure's elegant posture and the way the dress flares out, creating a cone-like shape from waist to floor, which dominates the composition. The visual vocabulary is immediately striking: a muted green for the gown contrasts sharply with the bright pink sash, drawing the eye along the figure's spine and down to the base. This contrast isn't merely decorative; it engages with the period's broader cultural codes. The arrangement of color and form signifies social status and an understanding of fashionable aesthetics. It challenges fixed notions of beauty, suggesting a move towards more individual and expressive forms of representation. Observe how the artist emphasizes texture through delicate lines, giving a tactile quality to the fabrics. This careful articulation functions aesthetically and signals a new engagement with representing material culture, reflecting an evolving discourse on identity, status and art.