Ruffles & Ribbons: Fashion Plates from the Time of Marie Antoinette

Delight in Ruffles & Ribbons: Fashion Plates from the Time of Marie Antoinette, a special installation in The Frick Collection’s Cabinet Gallery displaying twenty-four hand-colored engravings, known as fashion plates, depicting French dress in the late eighteenth century.

Yifu Liu, Anne L. Poulet Curatorial Fellow, explores the legacy of this print series, which anticipated the arrival of modern fashion magazines. He discusses the historical context surrounding the fashion plates, including the influence of French Caribbean fashions, and shares some highlights of the installation, providing vivid glimpses into French daily life before the Revolution.

The special installation showcases a selection of works from a gift by Melinda Martin Sullivan. Explore the full digitized series of prints on our website. Learn more and reserve tickets to see the installation, through August 3, 2026. 

2:05: Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, “Marie Antoinette in a Muslin Dress,” 1783, oil on canvas, Collection of the Prince Ludwig von Hessen und bei Rhein, Wolfsgarten Castle, Germany. Public Domain.

2:17: Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, “Marie Antoinette with a Rose,” 1783, oil on canvas, Palace of Versailles, France, Google Arts & Culture, Public Domain.