Dominican University of California
Fashion, Femininity, Frivolity: Marie Antoinette and the Rococco Legacy
Abstract
dc:description.abstract<p>In the two hundred years since her death, Marie Antoinette (1755-1793) has became a hugely popular subject in academic scholarship and pop culture alike. Her role as a fashion icon in eighteenth-century France has resulted in monumental influence on contemporary fashion and pop culture aimed at young women. However, the effects of anti-fashion, anti-Rococo, and anti-woman sentiment in late-eighteenth-century culture continue to color our perception of the "frivolous," feminine world she represents. This thesis explores the relationship between women, fashion, art, and politics in eighteenth- century France: women's social and political gains, the rise of the fashion industry, how Marie Antoinette in particular used fashion as a means of constructing political and personal identity, and the resulting backlash. The last chapter considers how Marie Antoinette has managed to remain an icon to contemporary female audiences, demonstrating a powerful relationship between women, fashion, and identity.</p>
Degree
thesis:*- Name thesis:degree_name
- Master of Arts
- Level thesis:degree_level
- Master's Thesis
- Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
- Humanities
- Year
- 2012
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Sooper, Molly
- Contributors dc:contributor
-
- Heidi Chreiten, PhD
- Leslie Ross, PhD
Subjects
dc:subject × 2Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- Repository record dc:identifier
- https://scholar.dominican.edu/humanities-print-theses/293
- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:scholar.dominican.edu:humanities-print-theses-1292