La Mode, 9 juin 1832, Pl. 234 : Chapeau de paille de riz (...) 1832

Editor: This is "La Mode, 9 juin 1832," plate 234. It's an engraving from 1832 by Auguste Delvaux, depicting two women in elaborate dresses and hats. The color palette is soft, like faded watercolors. It’s charming, but the puffed sleeves look a little… impractical, don't you think? What do you see when you look at this? Curator: Impractical, maybe, but delightfully so! The image feels like a daydream about dressing up. To me, the print captures the essence of Romanticism, with its emphasis on emotion, imagination, and a touch of fantasy. It makes me wonder, did people really go about their day dressed like this? The delicate lines and soft colours…it's almost as if the artist is romanticizing everyday life. Do you feel that sense of theatricality too? Editor: Definitely. The hats in particular – those oversized bonnets—look like they belong on stage. Curator: Exactly! These fashion plates were immensely popular, almost like the Vogue covers of their day. More than mere documentation, these prints offered a portal into an aspirational world, carefully constructing desire. If only Instagram had existed then. I think it offers us an early visual document of popular culture that’s trying to solidify what fashion means, but almost in a performance, how great! Don't you agree? Editor: I think so! It's fascinating to think of these images as a form of early advertising, shaping ideas of beauty and aspiration. This look probably didn’t happen overnight, but rather incrementally got to be where it needed. Like technology trends, fashion must find ways to evolve within its world. Curator: Yes! That’s true! That final piece clicks so much better! What an evolution that still ripples through our world now.