Charming Late 19th-Century French "Dressed" Fashion Engraving - 22" x 18"

This charming late 19th-century French gravure habillée, or dressed engraving, combines a delicately colored fashion illustration from La Mode Illustrée with real fabrics and lace, carefully applied to bring the fashionable costumes to life. The Parisian magazine presented the latest styles through elegant scenes set in bourgeois interiors or fashionable outdoor settings. Here, two women are depicted in a refined drawing room, one wearing a cream gown embellished with layers of fabric and fine black lace, the other dressed in deep blue with carefully arranged textile details. Beside them stands a little girl, whose endearing presence gives the scene a more intimate, everyday quality, as though capturing a moment of family life rather than simply displaying the latest fashions. Her little outfit has also been enhanced with fabric, a particularly thoughtful detail.

Two signatures appear on the original print, which is presented in a deep wooden box frame with gilt detailing and a pale textile-covered mount. The engraving and its delicate textile embellishments remain in attractive condition overall, with gentle signs of age. The generous wood-and-gilt frame, with its recessed pale textile mount, gives the delicate scene a beautiful sense of depth and a slightly formal, almost portrait-like presentation. The warm wood and mellow gilding complement the colors of the illustration particularly well.

These gravures habillées required considerable patience and skill, with textiles individually cut and arranged to reproduce the drape, texture and embellishments of fashionable clothing. Somewhere between fashion illustration, textile craftsmanship and decorative art, they offer a fascinating glimpse into the tastes and social life of 19th-century Paris. 

Note: Other dressed engravings from the same collection, each featuring a different scene, are also available for individual purchase here.