Elegantia, of tijdschrift van mode, luxe en smaak voor dames, Maart 1807, No. 6: Coeffure en Diamans... 1807

Editor: So, this is "Elegantia, of tijdschrift van mode, luxe en smaak voor dames," from March 1807. It’s a print—an engraving— currently held at the Rijksmuseum and credited to Anonymous. Looking at this figure, I am immediately struck by the fashion. It appears as rather delicate, almost ephemeral... what stands out to you when you look at this, um, fashion plate? Curator: You know, seeing her there, it feels like a stolen glance into another world, doesn't it? The rigid constraints, but also a real playfulness, peek through. Take the title—all about elegance and taste. Do you notice how the composition seems almost to resist that, somehow? The dress is so simple, almost a column. The flamboyance of the headdress—that feather!-and the luxurious stole draw my attention. It feels less about 'perfection' and more about… expressing oneself within strict guidelines. How do you feel about the fact that it’s unsigned? Editor: That's an interesting perspective. The informality amid formality... I hadn’t really thought about that. And that it's unsigned could suggest it was intended for mass consumption or not seen as 'high' art. Like it was more about communicating style than celebrating an individual artist. So, does it make a statement beyond fashion, do you think? Curator: Ah, now you're getting to the juicy bit! It's not *just* a pretty picture, is it? Think of the historical context, just after the French Revolution, how fashion then started to echo classical ideals in ways both obvious and subtle, so clothing was literally an extension of broader conversations around citizenship, aesthetics, even politics. These images literally offered a script of who a woman *could be*. Do you notice anything else that jumps out, now? Editor: I guess knowing that, the almost Greek-style dress is even more striking. It connects her to something grander, or hints at a different identity that goes beyond surface-level trends. Wow, I never would've seen all that. Curator: It's a two-way mirror, isn't it? We look at her, and she, in a way, reflects our own present-day longings and judgements back. Now I’m wondering about the *next* fashion plate...