You may have noticed that the mythological ladies primping themselves are gion ein the 18th century. There are, of course, plently of allergorcal nakedness elsewhere, but the vanity is now for the ordinary lady, with or without an entourage of maids and friends. This charming lady has a small pot of rouge on her table and either a swandowns puff for application, or perhaps just some crumpled fabric. Portrait of Madame Courcelles by Jean-Baptiste Greuze Alexander Roslin, 1755-1760 The Toilet, 1760 A lady at her toilet in an interior by Abraham Hendrick van Beesten, 1762 Van Loo Powder box with a powderpuff with a handle as well as a cabinet that sems to contain bottles of various kinds. Source Powderbox with puff and a small brush beside it. I winder to what? Powdering face, rouge, clothes? A family scene by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein, 1778 A Woman at her Toilet with a Maid, a Boy, a Dog and a Young Soldier; verso: A Sketch for a Similar Composition by Johann Eleazar Zeissig, called Schenau, 1770 The Morning Toilet by Pehr Hilleström The lady and her maidservant at the morning toilet Not an ordinary toilet room but an actress dressing room, but it is worth noting that she has just about the same thing on it as other ladies. An Actress at Her Toilet, or Miss Brazen just Breecht, anonymous artist after John Collet, 1779 Pehr Hilleström My favourite pictures are those were you get a glimpse on how the hairstyle is constructed. Here you get a view on both the front and the side. Mademoiselle Du T... by Jean-François Janinet, 1779 Source A hair that has completely broken down. The Broken Mirror by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, 1763 Two back views that clearly shows how hairstyles was worked in sections, first the front, and then one could arrange the backhair in curls, braids, etc. An Interior With A Young Lady At Her Toilet, Combing Her Hair Before A Mirror by Johann Anton de Peters A woman combing her hair in front of the mirror by Pehr Hilleström What to do when one hasn't got a special powder room. Protect the furniture with a screen and draped curtains and protect the floor with a piece of cloth.The lady herself is swathed in a powder cape. La Coiffure by Baptiste Mallet The Toilet by Robert Sayer, London. 1786 The English Dressing Room, Stipple engraving by P. W. Tomkins after Chas. Ansell published 1789 Lady with attendant, engraving by Jean Francois Janinet after Nicolas Lawrence The Coquette at her Toilet, after George Morland Dressing for a ball, 1797 There is an abundance of satirical drawings depicting vain men and women in the 18th century, but the items of the dressing table looks just about the same as in more serious paintings. Frontispiece to Anstey's election ball, 1776 The Lady's Maid or Toilet Head Dress, 1776 Source The English Shaver of Frenchman in the Suds, 1772 Source The Coiffure, model attributed to Gottlieb Friedrich Riedel, c. 1770
