On the terrace of the Tuileries, 1798
This plate depicts a couple in the garden of the Tuileries. She is wearing a typical flowing white, empire waist dress and a bonnet. Over her neo-classical style dress, she is wearing a 'spencer jacket', though... More
Stock-jobbing in the Palais-Royal, Year VII - 1799
A woman is depicted waiting outside of a group of men, guarded by a one-legged soldier. As the description says, they are stock-jobbing, or buying and selling speculative stocks, with little regard for the valu... More
Walk in the Tuileries Gardens. A dandy of the Year VIII
According to Baudelaire, a dandy was, "no profession other than elegance...no other status but that of cultivating the idea of beauty in their own persons....The dandy must aspire to be sublime without interrup... More
A Gambling Hell in the Palais-Royal, Year VIII - 1800
This picture depicts a woman gambling with three men. The text describing Year VIII says, "Pleasure-seekers still specially affected the neighborhood of the Palais-Royal...This was the hour for which every vice... More
An Opéra ball, Year VIII - 1800
This plate is a scene at an opera ball. In 1715, the regent of France instituted dancing at the Opera de Paris, especially around the time of Carnival. These balls were public and promoted a democratic atmosphere.
In the gallery of the Palais-Royal, Year VIII - 1800
This plate depicts a scene in the galleries of the Palais-Royal on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris. The Palais-Royal was built in 1624 by Cardinal Richelieu and bequeathed to the royal family. Later, the gardens and... More
The Perron of the Palais-Royal, 1802
A 'perron' is a staircase on the outside of a building with a platform or balcony-type structure leading to the entrance of the building. The man in the foreground, although dressed in colors, is reminiscent of... More
Waiting for the Saint-Cloud Coach, Place de la Concorde, 1806
This couple is depicted waiting for the coach, which was a passenger vehicle drawn by four horses. The woman is wearing a fashionable hat or "capote" that covers her face. Her dress maintains the empire waist a... More
The Saint-Cloud coach meeting, 1817
The woman depicted in this plate is wearing a white walking dress, identifiable by the rows of ruffles at the hem. White became very fashionable after the Restoration. Her lace collar, reminiscent of the more l... More
The Great Longchamps day, 1820, France, 19th century
This plate depicts two men wearing top-hats and long coats. The coats are cut square across the waist and the waist is fairly high. Their collars are worn very high, with the top of the collar sticking up over ... More
A Corner on the Boulevard des Italiens, 1833
The man in this plate is wearing a militaire or demi-solde redingote, a long, low-waisted coat. He is also wearing a 'chapeau claque' or what contemporary Americans might call a 'top hat.' The woman is wearing ... More
Boulevard des Italiens, Paris, 1833
The man in this plate is wearing a militaire or demi-solde redingote, a long, low-waisted coat. He is also wearing a 'chapeau claque' or what contemporary Americans might call a 'top hat.' The woman is wearing ... More
Dandyism in the Romantic period - a ballroom in 1834
The gentleman is wearing tight fitting pants, that are lighter than his coat. His pants have boot straps as well, reminiscent of an English riding costume. He wears a short-waisted coat with basques (or tails) ... More
At the Opera Ball, 1835, France, 19th century
The men depicted in this plate wear relatively tight, dark-colored trousers, as was fashionable in the Romantic Period. Their coats are high waisted. According to evening fashion, they both wear white stockings... More
A Sentimental walk in the Abbey of Longchamps, 1836
The woman depicted in this plate is wearing a dress with a wide bell skirt, accented by a corset. Her dress is relatively unadorned with narrower sleeves. She also wears a flat beret. The man is wearing a top h... More
Fashions in the Palais-Royal gardens, 1837
The woman depicted in this plate is wearing a dress with a very wide skirt and a fur trimmed 'paletot' or 'pardessus,' a coat-like garment worn over dresses. She is also wearing a large bonnet that almost cover... More
High-life in the Bois de Boulogne, L'allée des Cavaliers, 1842
The women depicted on horse-back is wearing a dark, broadcloth riding costume with a spencer jacket and sleeves à la jardinière. The man depicted is wearing a dark, high waisted coat with long tails, a top hat,... More
Opposite the first Café de Paris, Boulevard des Italiens, 1845
This plate depicts a street scene on the Boulevard Des Italiens. There is a woman depicted on horseback in a traditional dark riding habit, with a white collared shirt. The two men in the foreground are wearing... More
A stand at the Champ de Mars races, 1848
The woman depicted in this plate is wearing a dress with a blue redingote and a pink bonnet. She has a corseted waist and her skirt is supported by a fairly narrow crinoline, . The men in the middle ground are ... More
A box at the Italian Opera, 1852
The seated women wear dresses that are fairly sumptuous and expose the shoulders. They both wear shawl berthas wrapped around their shoulders and their hair is decorated with ribbons, feathers and lace. The sta... More
The Last of the Boulevard 'Lions', 1853
The men depicted in this plate are wearing fashionable haut-de-formes (top-hats), fairly loose-fitting striped pants, and 'jacquettes' with wider wand lower waists. The woman in this plate is wearing a very wid... More
A smart corner on the Rue Richelieu. The East India Company's warehous...
This plate depicts a woman passing in front of the 'Compagnie des Indes.' The woman in this plate wears a pink dress supported by a wide crinoline as well as a 'manteau impératrice' or an imperial coat in fur. ... More
The Boulevard des Italiens 1855 - Left side
The woman seated in the carriage wears a light bonnet and carries a parasos. She rides in a horse-drawn carriage attended by several servants. The man leaning over the carriage wears a fairly short and low wais... More
Bal Mabille, Paris, 1858
The women depicted in this plate wear dresses supported by very wide crinolines. Their skirts are flounced and the woman on the left is wearing a fur burnous (or hooded cloak). The women are dressed in very bri... More
In front of the Ambigu Theatre, 1861
The man on the left wears wide-legged, loose-fitting pants and a coat with no waist and buttoned high to the neck. The woman is wearing a blue dress with a fairly flat front that has a train and a crinoline tha... More
On a balcony in the Rue de Rivoli, 1864
In the background of this plate, one can see the gardens of the Tuileries and the Louvre behind it. The man wears a black coat with a starched collar. His pants are wide-legged and loose-fitting. She is wearing... More
The picture exhibition at the Salon. Looking at Manet's 'Olympia'
This plate depicts a scene at the Salon of 1865. Manet's painting 'Olympia'is represented in the background on the right of the plate. The man in the foreground is wearing a black suit with a starched collar an... More
Fête given at the Tuileries, 1867
The woman depicted in this plate wears a ball gown with a leaf motif around the hem, supported by a large crinoline. The dress has a very deep, oval-shaped neckline, revealing the shoulders. She also wears a fu... More
The Palmy Days of the Café de la Rotonde. In the Palais-Royal, 1868
This plate depicts a man with a mustache smoking at the Café de la Rotonde situated in the Tuileries. He is wearing checked pants over two-tone boots as well as a blue jacket. Abstract sources: Boucher, Françoi... More
Inside the Boulogne panoramam, 1824
One woman wears a green dress with a flounced hem and short, ballooning sleeves. The other woman, in a white dress, is wearing a cashmere shawl and carrying a parasol. Both dresses have wider skirts and lower w... More
Skaters on the reservoir at La Villette, 1813
This plate depicts a soldier skating on the reservoir in La Villette, a park near Paris. The soldier is wearing the uniform of a lancer. Lancers were light cavalrymen who used lances, which hadn't been used in ... More
Skaters on the reservoir at La Villette (1813) - Fashion in Paris (189...
Skating at La Villete. A man wearing a red and blue uniform of a lancer.