Loops and Ribbons: Fashion plates from the Marie and Toinette era

About the Exhibition

This exhibition presents 24 hand-colored prints depicting French fashion of the Marie Antoinette era. Drawn from 'Gallerie des modes et costumes français,' published between 1778 and 1787, they form the largest and most influential series documenting fashion of the time. Some of the 370 original prints held by the Frick Art Reference Library are on view for the first time. The exhibition serves as an important record for understanding fashion and costume culture in late-18th-century French society, reflecting the social and cultural atmosphere of the era. It visually captures the fashion of the Marie Antoinette period in particular, offering a new interpretation at the intersection of art and fashion of the time. Visitors can experience the beauty and complexity of 18th-century French fashion through prints depicting a range of costumes and decorative elements.