Taste A-la-Mode, 1745

Contemporary fashion and its dedicated followers are the target of this satirical print by the French artist Louis-Phillippe Boitard. The title 'Taste-a-la-Mode' refers to transient 18th century fashions, which were worn by both men and women in high society.

A group of fashionably dressed people are depicted in St. James' Park, near Buckingham House (later Palace), which can be seen in the background. The central focus is the squat woman wearing a voluminous 'sack-bag', supported underneath by wide hoops. She is contrasted with the elongated woman behind and the less-exaggerated women nearby, to highlight the ridiculousness of her appearance. A risqué element is introduced by the woman on the left, who has raised her gown to show off her ankles and petticoat underneath.

The men are not exempt from the artist's critique. Two 18th century gentlemen on the far left are shown wearing three-piece suits and short breeches, which fall above the knee. The men on the right, meanwhile, are portrayed as dandified fops, with large bows in their wigs and big hats.

Boitard's humorous print was published on 12 September 1745. It is comparable in both date and subject matter with William Hogarth's 'Marriage-a-la-Mode', a series of six paintings (and engravings) which charted the demise of a modern marriage, while criticising contemporary tastes.