Progress of the Toilet – Dress Completed
Print
1810 (printed)
1810 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This print depicts a lady, dressed for evening in the most up to date fashion of the day (1810), admiring herself in a mirror. Behind her, a maid holds her shawl and fan. In the background, a bookcase holds two volumes of 'Delphine' and one of 'The Monk'. On the floor lies a copy of 'Gallery of Fashion'. 'Delphine' is a novel by Germaine de Stael, an early feminist thinker. 'The Monk' is a Gothic novel about the carnal temptations of a monk, by Matthew Lewis. Both books were considered fashionable and controversial in this period, and their inclusion here suggests that the subject of the print has been readind material deemed 'improper' for respectable women.
James Gillray, the creator of this print, produced a large number of satires on the topic of contemporary fashion, as well as political prints. This image is the third in a series of three, the previous of which depicted the same woman having her appearance altered by the use of stays (corsets) and a wig.
James Gillray, the creator of this print, produced a large number of satires on the topic of contemporary fashion, as well as political prints. This image is the third in a series of three, the previous of which depicted the same woman having her appearance altered by the use of stays (corsets) and a wig.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Progress of the Toilet – Dress Completed (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Hand-coloured |
| Brief description | Satirical print, ‘Progress of the Toilet – Dress Completed - Plate 3’ by James Gillray, London, 1810 |
| Physical description | A lady, fashionably dressed for evening in a high-waisted, sprigged dress, stands behind a long mirror. Her maid stands behind her, holding a shawl and a fan. The maid holds up one hand as if in admiration. In the background, a bookcase holds two volumes of 'Delphine' and one of 'The Monk'. On the floor lies a copy of 'Gallery of Fashion'. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Limited edition |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by John Jones |
| Object history | Object originally bound in a guard-book containing one hundred and fifteen caricatures by T. Rowlandson, W. Heath, J. Gillray, R. Dighton, G. Cruikshank and others |
| Summary | This print depicts a lady, dressed for evening in the most up to date fashion of the day (1810), admiring herself in a mirror. Behind her, a maid holds her shawl and fan. In the background, a bookcase holds two volumes of 'Delphine' and one of 'The Monk'. On the floor lies a copy of 'Gallery of Fashion'. 'Delphine' is a novel by Germaine de Stael, an early feminist thinker. 'The Monk' is a Gothic novel about the carnal temptations of a monk, by Matthew Lewis. Both books were considered fashionable and controversial in this period, and their inclusion here suggests that the subject of the print has been readind material deemed 'improper' for respectable women. James Gillray, the creator of this print, produced a large number of satires on the topic of contemporary fashion, as well as political prints. This image is the third in a series of three, the previous of which depicted the same woman having her appearance altered by the use of stays (corsets) and a wig. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1232:84-1882 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | June 8, 2009 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
