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

Hand-colored engravings depicting French fashion from the late 18th century, many never before publicly displayed.

Why go

The Frick Art Research Library's collection of 370 original prints from Gallerie des modes is one of the most complete surviving sets; this Cabinet installation presents 24 of them alongside the concurrent Gainsborough exhibition, offering rare insight into late-18th-century fashion documentation.

What to expect

Twenty-four hand-colored engravings from the 1778–87 Gallerie des modes et costumes français series, displayed in a Cabinet installation format, showing detailed depictions of French aristocratic dress and accessories.

Things to know

• No complete set of Gallerie des modes survives today.
• The Frick Art Research Library holds an impressive collection of 370 original prints from the series.
• Many prints were discarded when fashions changed or destroyed during the French Revolution.
• Organized in conjunction with the Gainsborough: The Fashion of Portraiture exhibition.

Plan your visit

Timed tickets are recommended. Members visit free with no reservations required.

From the venue

Organized in conjunction with Gainsborough: The Fashion of Portraiture, this Cabinet installation presents twenty-four hand-colored engravings that depict French fashion in the late eighteenth century. These plates are selected from Gallerie des modes et costumes français (1778–87), the largest and most influential series of its day. 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 selection of which will be on view at the Frick for the first time.