Two Women in Day Dresses 1875

Jules David made this print of two women in day dresses in France. The image presents us with a fascinating snapshot into the social life of 19th-century bourgeois women. The dresses themselves speak volumes. Notice the elaborate ornamentation, the bonnets, and the overall impracticality of these garments. They signify a life of leisure, far removed from the world of labor. But who gets to enjoy such luxury? And at what cost? We might consider how the Industrial Revolution created new wealth for some, even as it exploited the labor of others, including women. To fully understand this image, we need to dig deeper. Fashion plates like these were more than just pretty pictures; they were instruments of social control, dictating norms of dress and appearance for women of a certain class. Art historians rely on sources like fashion magazines, personal letters, and economic data to unpack the complex social meanings embedded in artworks like this one. By examining these cultural artifacts, we can gain insight into the social and economic forces that shaped the lives of people in the past.