c.1859 Modes de Paris No. 2 Print - Victorian Fashion Ball Gowns - Hand-Coloured Costume Art - 9.75 x 6.75 in

This original hand-coloured print depicts two elegant ladies in Victorian ball gowns, characterised by voluminous skirts adorned with bows. This charming fashion plate shows: > Two women standing in a refined interior, the left in a deep blue gown with lace yoke and matching headpiece, the right in a soft ivory dress festooned with pink bows, holding a folded fan. Behind them drapes and classical architecture are lightly sketched in the background. > > At the foot of the image: “Modes de Paris 1859. No. 2” Produced on hand-coloured lithograph on wove paper. Visit our Fashion section for other exciting prints. Background “Modes de Paris” fashion plates influenced women’s dress trends across Europe in the mid-19th century, setting standards for elegance and ornamentation. The term "Modes de Paris" appeared on high-quality fashion plates within French ladies' magazines. "Modes de Paris" was a phrase and a label, not a standalone magazine title. It was used in the heading of fashion plates within various French ladies' magazines, particularly the "Petit Courrier des Dames, Journal des Modes", to indicate that the illustrated clothing and accessories were from Paris. These magazines, popular after the Napoleonic Wars, featured these plates, showcasing specific garments and advertising Parisian dressmakers, hairdressers, florists, and jewellers. The "Modes de Paris" label essentially signified Parisian fashion trends of the time. The magazine, "Petit Courrier des Dames, Journal des Modes", in particular, was successful, with one of its features being the "Modes de Paris" fashion plates. About Your Purchase: - Your purchase is this ORIGINAL antique hand-coloured lithograph print. No modern reprints or reproductions. - this print is sold unmounted. Condition: Good antique condition with bright colours. Minor edge wear, slight corner creases and faint foxing; no tears or repairs. Returns & Shipping - Returns: No-questions-asked within 14 days if returned in original condition; buyer pays return postage. - Packing: Secured in a clear archival sleeve, backed with rigid board, then reinforced in recycled cardboard. - Dispatched via Royal Mail Tracked 24/48 (UK 1–3 days, US/EU 5–12 days, Rest of world 7–21 days).