Walking Sticks and Round-A-Bouts for the Year 1801
Thomas Rowlandson British
After George Murgatroyd Woodward British
Publisher Rudolph Ackermann, London British
Not on view
Contrasting physical types are used here to satirize British summer fashions of 1801. Both women show off revealing muslin dresses with high waists and short sleeves, a classically inspired style introduced from France that revealed every defeat of the figure. Headdresses consist of simple veiled caps, and parasols are carried for shade. The male outfits reflect precepts promoted by Beau Brummel. With the goal a kind of relaxed athleticism, snugly fitting trousers are paired with high Hessian boots. A carefully tied white neck stock is combined with a fitted tailcoat and short waistcoat and the look completed with top hats, unpowdered hair, riding crops and monocles. Fashions for men and women alike reflect growing appreciation for "the natural" but this design demonstrates the consequences for persons with less than ideal physiques.
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