Le Monument du Costume

This series of plates centres on the fashion, interiors and etiquette of the wealthy French elite around 1776. We follow a young lady du bon ton (of good taste) from the time of her pregnancy until her return to society life. At home, she is shown in a negligée 1 2 3. For a horseback ride in the Bois de Boulogne, she chooses an Amazonian riding outfit 4, and when paying a visit to Marly, the king’s country residence, she dons a robe à la polonaise 5. The opera demands a robe à la française, with a skirt so wide that she can pass through doorways only sideways 6.

Le Monument du Costume

This series of plates centres on the fashion, interiors and etiquette of the wealthy French elite around 1776. We follow a young lady du bon ton (of good taste) from the time of her pregnancy until her return to society life. At home, she is shown in a negligée 1 2 3. For a horseback ride in the Bois de Boulogne, she chooses an Amazonian riding outfit 4, and when paying a visit to Marly, the king’s country residence, she dons a robe à la polonaise 5. The opera demands a robe à la française, with a skirt so wide that she can pass through doorways only sideways 6.