Travestissements

What you are looking at

Three young women stand in a shallow stage space, dressed in contrasting period or national costumes. The figure on the left wears a green silk skirt with deep magenta trim and a white chemise with a green veil or shawl trailing behind her; she gazes downward. The central figure is dressed in a black dress with a white lace apron and white cap or bonnet—a servant's or peasant's costume—and holds a small basket. The third figure, on the right, wears a blue skirt with gold braid trim, a striped military-style jacket in tan and gold, and a tall headdress; she holds what appears to be a fan or small object in one hand. The ground is lightly suggested. The composition is a fashion plate in the theatrical tradition: three distinct characters arranged for comparison, each isolated by costume rather than narrative action. The hand-coloring—green, magenta, blue, tan, and gold—is applied with restraint over a printed engraved base.

The dancing

None of the three figures is in motion or an active dance pose. All three stand upright with neutral, frontal or three-quarter orientation. The leftmost figure's gaze is averted and her veil creates a sense of movement or mystery, but her body is still. The central figure's arms hang simply; the rightmost figure holds up one arm in a gesture that might suggest courtship display or theatrical presentation rather than dance instruction. The bodies are arranged as costume displays rather than as dancers executing steps.

The dance depicted

This work depicts no active dance. It is a costume plate titled 'Travestissements' (Disguises or Cross-Dressing), a common theatrical print genre of the 19th century. The three figures represent different social roles or national stereotypes—possibly a lady, a maid or peasant, and a military or exotic figure—rendered in contrasting dress. Such prints documented theatrical costume and performance personas rather than choreography or social dance.

How it was made

This is a hand-colored engraving or lithograph, likely from the mid-19th century. The base image is professionally engraved or printed, with the characteristic fine lines and formal composition of theatrical fashion plates of that era. The hand-coloring was applied afterward, suggesting a print intended for broad circulation among theater-goers, costume makers, or illustration collectors. The technique allowed rapid reproduction and distribution of costume references.

About this work

This is a theatrical costume plate rather than a dance image. It documents three female performance personas in contrasting dress, arranged for costume study and reference. The work belongs in a dance archive as evidence of theatrical dress conventions and the performance culture that surrounded 19th-century theater and social entertainment. Prints of this type reveal what costumes audiences expected to see, which roles were recognizable by dress alone, and how costume communicated character and social status on the stage.

How to look at it

Study the costume details: the layering of fabrics, the precision of trim and ornament, the headdresses, and how the silhouette changes with each figure. Notice that no two costumes are identical in color, construction, or social register—the print is teaching a visual taxonomy of female theatrical roles. Observe also the neutral poses: these are standing presentations, not movement studies. The refinement of the hand-coloring—especially the saturation of the greens, blues, and magentas—suggests the print was meant for affluent viewers or professionals who could afford such finish.

The artist

The artist is unknown, but the style and execution are consistent with mid-19th-century Parisian theatrical print production. The inscription 'Fanny Elssler' appears on the sheet, suggesting the plate may have circulated in connection with the famous Austrian ballet dancer Fanny Elssler, who was celebrated across Europe in the 1830s–1840s. However, this does not necessarily indicate that Elssler is depicted, only that the print was associated with her name or career in some way—a common practice for theatrical prints.

The period

This print dates to the era of Romantic ballet (1820s–1840s), when theatrical spectacle and costume played central roles in performance. While ballet was moving toward pointe work and ethereal, ankle-length tutus, popular theater and melodrama relied heavily on character costumes and disguise plots. The three costumes shown—aristocratic, peasant, and military/exotic—are the stock figures of Romantic-era theater. Prints documenting such costumes were essential references for performers, dressmakers, and audiences seeking to understand theatrical conventions.

Where it lives

The work is held in the Prints collection of the New York Public Library, part of a broader group of theatrical and dance-related prints. The inscription 'Fanny Elssler' links it to the broader collection history around the celebrated dancer, though the exact circumstances of the connection are not recorded.

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