Jeaune Dame qui quete: elle est vetue d'une robe de Cour de Pekin, plate 56

Date1779

Publisher Esnauts & Rapilly (fl. ca. 1775-1811)

After work by Pierre-Thomas LeClerc (ca. 1740 - ca. 1799)

Engraver Nicolas Dupin

OriginEurope, France, Paris

MediumHand-colored etching and line engraving

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1971-3085

DescriptionPrint is from Galeries des Modes, 27e Cahier, 1ere Figure

Upper margin reads: "Cahier de Costumes Francais./ Suite d'Habillemens a la mode en 1779"
Lower margin reads: "Dessine par leClerc./ Grave par Dupin/ Jeune Dame qui quête: elle est vêtue d'une robe de Cour de Pekin, garnie de gaze entrelassée de reubans et de tuirlandes de fleurs. Celui qui la conduit est vêtu d'un habit de Gros de Naples, brodé autour en pailletes de toutes coul.rs./ A Paris chez Esnauts et Rapilly, rue S.t Jacques, a la Ville de Coutanees. Avec Pr. du Roi."

Translation:
Young Lady questing: she is dressed in a Court gown of Pekin, trimmed with gauze interlaced with ribbon and garlands of flowers. The man who escorts her is dressed in a suit of Gros de Naples, embroidered around the edges with sequins in all colors.

The Galerie des Modes provides futher information on this plate. It reads:
Robe de Cour, in "Monsieur's plum" color. It is not only on the form of clothes that fashion exercises its empire: colors are also in its purview, and there are successive fashionable colors. The color puce has had, for some time, the greatest favor; fabrics, metals, everything took on a uniform puce. This year, the color "Monsieur's plum" dominated; everything that carried the puce label has been obliged to disappear; and at the moment that we are writing, already another color is manifesting: it is called "goose droppings". It has already had some reputation for thirty years. Such is the strength of fashion, celebrated, expensive for a time, they are then put in the discard pile, they are forgotten, and some time after, they come back on the scene and always seeming to have the piquancy of novelty.

The Quester represented in the Print is a little behind the fashion, in putting diamonds in her ears. Women, after the introduction of the new Coiffures, have abandoned this parure: it is true that this fashion will not be of long duration; diamonds will reappear soon in their éclat; but such is the empire of fashion that it is necessary to be united with the dominant tastes, if one doesn't want to be ridiculed.

Note the mounted bouquet, called side bouquet, with which the Quester is decorated: it is proper, and necessarily enters the costume of a Quester.

The Squire or escort of this Beauty is dressed in a demi-gala Suit , that is to say, embroidered only on the edges. The full-gala Suit must be of rich materials, gold and silver, embroidered all over; the waistcoat, made of different materials; the parements of the Suit matching the Vest.

This Squire, whether from thoughtlessness or something else, has forgotten the knot for his sword, which renders his dress incorrect. The sword, in the full- and half-gala, must always be dressed.

Fashionable coiffure, or in herisson; chapeau brisé, trimmed with its plume, intended to be held under the arm. Manchettes and ruffles of lace, white gloves, and red heels, to complete the parure.
Label TextThis plate was published in the French fashion periodical "Gallerie des Modes et du Costume Francais." It roughly translates to: "A young lady questing: she is dressed in a Peking Court gown, trimmed with gauze interwoven with ribbons and garlands of flowers. Whoever leads her is dressed in a Gros de Naples outfit, embroidered around in spangles of all colors."