Fashion and Elegance: Hooded Cloaks Men’s Wigs 1729

Antoine Hérisset created this print, titled 'Fashion and Elegance: Hooded Cloaks Men’s Wigs,' employing line and watercolor to capture the aristocratic fashion of his time. The visual experience is dominated by the flowing lines of the cloaks and wigs, rendered in delicate pastel shades that evoke a sense of refined elegance. The formal arrangement of the figures, each presenting a distinct profile, underscores a structured approach to depicting social identity. The composition emphasizes artifice. This focus on external appearance invites us to consider how clothing functions as a signifier within the semiotic system of 18th-century society, signaling status and taste through carefully constructed visual cues. Consider how the artist uses line to define the contours of the garments, transforming fabric into signifiers of social identity. The ephemeral nature of fashion underscores the fleeting nature of signs, prompting us to recognize that meaning is not fixed but constantly negotiated through cultural practices and visual representation.