• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.1409-1417
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• 2011

This study examines King Louis XVI costumes and his portraits according to symbolic meanings. This study analysis of costumes comes from portraits related various domestic and overseas literature, preliminary study papers, and web sites. Omnipotence, activity, nobility, openness and benevolence were distinguished in the symbolic meaning expressed in the portraits of King Louis XVI. Louis XVI in a portrait was drawn with god or expressed as a martyr and symbolically showed the omnipotence of god. Louis XVI was symbolized as almighty god by maximizing the authority and dignity of the king through the hands of justice that were used as a background or portrait accessory and a costume with the symbol of House of Bourbon. Kings of many generations were expressed as authoritative through portraits. However, Louis XVI showed a proletarian aspect in ordering portraits to reflect the daily working image of communicating with citizens. Active images such as the king riding a horse or administering the state affairs were emphasized in a political and military perspective; in addition, the benevolence of the king was symbolically presented through a family portrait. This symbolically signified that the king is a warm-hearted person who passionately takes care of state affairs and loves the people through a noble element coming from pastel colors and attributes of red colors. Historically, the political incompetence and indifference of kings was fragmentally emphasized; however, these portraits considered the king as one who tried to fulfill duties as the true king with a great interest in politics and the people.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.97-104
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• 1986

The change and development of costume are related to the cultural and socioeconomic factors. In the 18th century the mode of the women's costume in France was greatly influenced by the Rococo style. Elegance and exaggerated ornaments were the major characteristics of the woman's cos-tume in the Rococo period. The high hairdress and the widely hooped panier represented the typical Rococo fashion. From the second half of the 18th century onwards the aristocracy began to lose the battle with the bourgeoisie for political and economic power, and at the same time bourgeoisie fashion exerted an influence on court dress. The court fashion dominated the women's dress fashion in France up to the Revolution. Marie Antoinette, The Queen of Louis XVI, was one of the most influential fashion leaders in the lath century. The fashion, after attaining its highest point in 1770s, changed to a new direction in 1780s under Louis XVI. From that period onward the dimensions were smaller, hairdresses were not so high, and the trimming on the various garments was less liberal. In the mode, exaggeration was replaced by simplicity, and formality was replaced by functionalism.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.45
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• pp.349-380
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• 2016

In this article we tried to discover the predilection of the Goncourt brothers for the noble culture of the eighteenth century. It is well known that two brothers sought to bring forth the aristocratic world formerly reigned by Louis XV and Louis XVI. The favorite themes of the Goncourts included rococo, rocaille, Kings' mistresses, and antiques. Were the brothers fascinated by the culture of the eighteenth century only because they were themselves in the lineage of an aristocratic family? Are there any other reasons behind their predilection for the eighteenth century? This research started from these questions, because we believe that, in their preoccupation with such culture, there must be other reasons beyond their aesthetic predilection. We first studied ideological grounds to answer these questions. Our attention was particularly drawn to the relationship between their attachment to aristocratic culture and their rejection of bourgeois culture in their time. We then attempted to discern the meaning of their studies on the French Revolution, in the wake of the revolution of 1848. By means of this approach, we found that they overestimated the vibrant and energetic culture of the eighteenth century, and they wanted to propose such culture to their contemporaries, in an effort to forget the terrible memory of the year 1848. We can therefore say that the Goncourt brothers proposed a remedy for the psychological torment of their time.