Le Beau Monde and Monthly Register, October 1809.
“Evening Dress.”
This magazine, originally published by John Browne Bell, was sold in April 1809 to John Tyler, who kept it running for only one year. During that year, the style of the fashion prints changed. This one is signed “Devis,” which would have been Arthur William Devis, a painter of portraits and historical subjects, most famous today for his Death of Nelson. Devis also happened to be married to the famous modiste Madame Lanchester. We do not know if this dress was designed by her as there is no mention of the “inventor” of the dress in the text. The print is also signed by the engraver, Thomas Cheesman. Though most other fashion prints in this last year of publication of Le Beau Monde have the look of a Devis design, no others are signed.
The interesting hairdo is called “Head dress à la Grec.” One assumes it might more appropriately be called “Hair dressed à la Grec” as there is no hat, cap, turban or any sort of head dress. The page opposite this print shows an engraving of “A Grecian Lady” from Thomas Hope’s Costumes of the Ancients. She has an almost identical hairdo to the lady in the fashion print.
The print is described in the magazine as follows:
“Head dress à la Grec–White satin dress with long sleeves, ornamented round the bosom, and bottom of the dress, with gold trimming–Necklace of pearls–White kid gloves, and white satin shoes, with small gold rosettes.–A royal purple velvet mantle, lined with yellow satin, and trimmed round with ermine, and tassels of blue silk at each end.”
