Introduction

The French fashion industry rapidly expanded in the eighteenth century. Urban economy, global trade, and colonial expansion introduced new textiles and styles, fostering a growing population of fashion-conscious consumers. In the 1770s, Parisian boutiques flourished, producing diverse designs that were popularized by Queen Marie Antoinette and adopted by affluent society throughout Europe. Various means of circulating trends also emerged, including fashion plates (printed illustrations of contemporary styles) and fashion dolls dressed in miniature versions of the latest attire.

A pioneering series of fashion-plate publications, Gallerie des modes et costumes français was issued sporadically between 1778 and 1787 by Paris-based print merchants Jacques Esnault and Michel Rapilly. Its complete run included more than four hundred exquisite engravings—many of them hand-colored—that depict hairstyles, clothes, shoes, jewelry, and other accessories. Touted as "d'après nature" (drawn from life), these images were advertised as accurate representations of the fashion under Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, highlighting the innovations in informal daywear.

With plates produced by talented artists, Gallerie des modes sold at relatively high prices. It appealed to wealthy fashion clients and designers, as well as print collectors. Its success inspired many counterfeits and competitors, paving the way for the first regularly issued magazines, such as the much more affordable Cabinet des modes (1785–93) and Journal des dames et des modes (1797–1839). No complete set of Gallerie des modes survives today. Many were discarded when fashions changed, and others could have been destroyed during the French Revolution.

The Frick Art Research Library has an impressive collection of three hundred and seventy original prints—a gift from Melinda Martin Sullivan—twenty-four of which are on view at the Frick for the first time.