Woman in Evening Dress Asleep in Armchair c. 1840

Alfred Edward Chalon produced this watercolor of a woman in evening dress asleep in an armchair sometime in the 19th century. The image presents a window into the social rituals and constraints placed upon women of the British upper class during this period. The woman's elaborate attire, complete with jewelry and flowers, speaks to the rigid expectations surrounding female appearance and presentation. Her slumber in an armchair suggests exhaustion, perhaps from the demanding social calendar and performance of femininity expected of her. The mirror in the background is an explicit reference to those expectations. Chalon was a portraitist to the Royal family, making this a record of a very particular social class. As such, we may need to examine etiquette manuals, fashion plates, and other period documents to decode the full meaning of this image. It is in this social context that the artwork gains its richest meaning.