Woman's Shoe c. 1938

John Hall made this watercolor painting of a woman's shoe sometime in the late 18th century, but the exact date is unknown. On the face of it, the artwork simply depicts a mundane fashionable object. Yet, in this period, even apparently trivial and ordinary items carried symbolic social weight. In Britain at the time, clothing and accessories signified a person's class, occupation, and status. This boot with its fashionable heel and decorative lining would have been worn by a woman of relative wealth and social standing. Hall was a historical engraver, so it is interesting to wonder whether this image was conceived as a pattern for reproduction, to disseminate ideas about fashion to a wider audience. Historians of dress make use of paintings, engravings, and fashion plates to learn about clothing trends of the past. The study of material culture provides valuable insights into the social norms and values of a particular time.