Marie Antoinette: The Queen of Fashion: Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français 1780

Editor: This is "Marie Antoinette: The Queen of Fashion" from around 1780. It's a print from "Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français" and it reminds me of a fashion plate. I find it kind of amusing – that towering hairstyle is wild. What jumps out at you? Curator: Ah, yes! More than a fashion plate, this captures a moment, a breath, in the theatre of Marie Antoinette's court. Notice the fan, just so, almost hiding her face? It hints at the performance of royalty, always on display, yet seeking a sliver of privacy. Don’t you think? Editor: A performance, definitely. It’s so…stiff. Everything, from the dress to the hair, looks like it could topple over. Is that intentional? Curator: Indeed! The exaggeration *is* the point. Think of it as visual hyperbole, darling. These clothes weren’t practical, they were statements. Of wealth, of power, of daring. What does that color palette say to you? Editor: Purple and green, pretty unusual. It almost feels a little…off? Curator: Exactly! And "off" was the new "on" at court! Conventional beauty was out the window, individuality and impact were in. Do you think this subverts ideas of "beauty"? Editor: Definitely! The towering hair and the slightly clashing colors feel like a kind of rebellion against the traditional ideas of beauty. Curator: A beautiful, fashionable, sartorial rebellion! That feels like the real beauty hidden within these etched lines and watercolors.