39e Cahier, 34e Suite, 252
Gallerie des modes et costumes français. 39e Cahier des Costumes Français. 34e Suite d'Habillemens les plus à la mode. 252
ca. 1783
Designed by Pierre-Thomas Le Clerc (French, Paris 1740–1796); engraved by Jean-François Janinet (French, Paris 1752–1814)
Hand-colored engraving
Approx. 11 1/2 × 17 in. (29.2 × 43.2 cm)
Frick Art Research Library; Gift of Melinda Martin Sullivan, 2016
Image Frick Digital Studio
The Masquerade
Particularly popular in eighteenth-century France, the masquerade, or masked ball, drew large crowds and gave rise to a specific type of garment called the domino. A full-length, hooded silk gown that covers the clothes beneath entirely, a domino preserves the anonymity of the man or woman who wears it.
Inscription
English: "Lady dressed in a very elegant large domino for going to the masquerade."
French: "Dame habillée en grand Domino très élégant pour aller au Bal masqué."