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Larmessin Whimsical Costumes of Professions - Rich Breiman Collection - Curated by Gabrielle Ly
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Furs were an important part of the French economy during the 17th century. Colonists in New France traded with indigenous North Americans for the pelts of hunted animals, which would have been made into clothing by furriers.
Armed with a variety of kitchen equipment and cutlery, this cook also adorns himself with platters of fruit and meat. While the meal of pork and chicken would be unattainable for the impoverished and too-plain for the wealthy, the food offered by the cook suits middle class French taste.
These prints are “productively positioned between the fantastic and lived experience” according to David Pullins, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum. Created by a tradesman like Larmessin, the portraits ought to be seen in reference to his time (representing trades, fashions, and culture) and referring to the art world. The portraits walk a fine line, in tension between two opposing worlds. To the viewer, this collection deals with familiar materials of French life, though framed like an ethnographic print.
The cook, or the cuisinier, is portrayed like an alien, unlike the rest of society. This distanced perspective gives the viewer greater insight into how these trades were viewed, especially in service to the higher classes.
Following the Renaissance, scientific pursuits led to many developments in winemaking. Regions and grape types were becoming recognized and associated with quality. The oldest vineyards with the most respected names sold at high prices to the upper class, though there was still a strong presence of cheap wines.
The hosier makes knitted and woven goods: depicted here are socks, stockings, gloves, mittens, and hats. Hand-knitting was a time-consuming process, but their products were staples of a French wardrobe.
Bread was an incredibly important product, as it remains today. Most bread in the 17th century would have been leavened with sourdough, but by 1644, pain à la reine (bread in the Queen’s style, referring to Marie de Medici), leavened with yeast, also grew popular.
Coffeehouses presented a respectable place for the middle class to socialize, one that was not exclusive. These houses became centers of criticism and discussion, frequented by writers and great thinkers. Most cities had a few dozen locations (Paris claimed a few hundred).
Basketmakers often grew their own materials, such as willow and straw. The French favored willow since it came in so many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Now, only a few hundred basketmakers exist in France.
The basketmaker here is adorned in a variety of baskets used for utilitarian purposes, other than the bird headdress.
The butcher was an essential part of the lower-class community. Here, he is seemingly styled like Hercules, a mythical figure known for his 12 feats of strength and often arrayed in a lion's skin and with a club. The butcher even holds a club like Hercules here.
Ploughmen formed the majority of French society, making up the lower classes. They were mostly self-sufficient, growing enough food to meet their needs with any excess going to the market for other needs they could not meet, like pottery or metalwork.
They often resembled blacksmiths with their shared metal working focus. Locks were often used to deter robbers and theft, with more than one often installed on a door.
Furs were an important part of the French economy during the 17th century. Colonists in New France traded with indigenous North Americans for the pelts of hunted animals, which would have been made into clothing by furriers.
Armed with a variety of kitchen equipment and cutlery, this cook also adorns himself with platters of fruit and meat. While the meal of pork and chicken would be unattainable for the impoverished and too-plain for the wealthy, the food offered by the cook suits middle class French taste.
These prints are “productively positioned between the fantastic and lived experience” according to David Pullins, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum. Created by a tradesman like Larmessin, the portraits ought to be seen in reference to his time (representing trades, fashions, and culture) and referring to the art world. The portraits walk a fine line, in tension between two opposing worlds. To the viewer, this collection deals with familiar materials of French life, though framed like an ethnographic print.
The cook, or the cuisinier, is portrayed like an alien, unlike the rest of society. This distanced perspective gives the viewer greater insight into how these trades were viewed, especially in service to the higher classes.
Following the Renaissance, scientific pursuits led to many developments in winemaking. Regions and grape types were becoming recognized and associated with quality. The oldest vineyards with the most respected names sold at high prices to the upper class, though there was still a strong presence of cheap wines.
The hosier makes knitted and woven goods: depicted here are socks, stockings, gloves, mittens, and hats. Hand-knitting was a time-consuming process, but their products were staples of a French wardrobe.
Bread was an incredibly important product, as it remains today. Most bread in the 17th century would have been leavened with sourdough, but by 1644, pain à la reine (bread in the Queen’s style, referring to Marie de Medici), leavened with yeast, also grew popular.
Coffeehouses presented a respectable place for the middle class to socialize, one that was not exclusive. These houses became centers of criticism and discussion, frequented by writers and great thinkers. Most cities had a few dozen locations (Paris claimed a few hundred).
Basketmakers often grew their own materials, such as willow and straw. The French favored willow since it came in so many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Now, only a few hundred basketmakers exist in France.
The basketmaker here is adorned in a variety of baskets used for utilitarian purposes, other than the bird headdress.
The butcher was an essential part of the lower-class community. Here, he is seemingly styled like Hercules, a mythical figure known for his 12 feats of strength and often arrayed in a lion's skin and with a club. The butcher even holds a club like Hercules here.
Ploughmen formed the majority of French society, making up the lower classes. They were mostly self-sufficient, growing enough food to meet their needs with any excess going to the market for other needs they could not meet, like pottery or metalwork.
They often resembled blacksmiths with their shared metal working focus. Locks were often used to deter robbers and theft, with more than one often installed on a door.
"Habit de Fourer," or in English, "furrier's outfit"
Dots count
3
Dot stories
1
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 05 2024
0.19
1.13
"Habit de Cuisinier," or "cook's outfit"
2
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 05 2024
0.57
0.18
Pork and chicken. The meat itself is not indicative of any luxury, but the portion sizes and presentation are dramatic.
3
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Jul 30 2024
0.47
0.48
VOICE NOTE TRANSCRIPT:
These prints are “productively positioned between the fantastic and lived experience” according to David Pullins, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum. Created by a tradesman like Larmessin, the portraits ought to be seen in reference to his time (representing trades, fashions, and culture) and referring to the art world. The portraits walk a fine line, in tension between two opposing worlds. To the viewer, this collection deals with familiar materials of French life, though framed like an ethnographic print.
The cook, or the cuisinier, is portrayed like an alien, unlike the rest of society. This distanced perspective gives the viewer greater insight into how these trades were viewed, especially in service to the higher classes.
Dots count
4
Dot stories
1
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 05 2024
0.19
1.12
"Habit de Vigneron," or "winegrower's outfit"
2
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 05 2024
0.58
0.37
The body of the costume appears to be a woven basket, which, along with his tools, suggests the manual labor involved in the growing process.
3
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 06 2024
0.74
0.46
He wields a grape hook.
4
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 06 2024
0.62
0.54
On the winegrower's belt is a weeding hoe and a grab-hoe.
Dots count
5
Dot stories
1
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 05 2024
0.22
1.14
"Habit de Sellier," or "saddler's outfit"
2
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 06 2024
0.46
0.94
Awls, tools used for for leather-sewing, decorate the saddler's shoes.
3
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 06 2024
0.76
0.33
He holds a beveler, used for smoothing edges
4
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 06 2024
0.55
0.2
On his head is a saddle-tree, to which leather components are added.
5
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 06 2024
0.19
0.65
In his hand are riding crops.
Dots count
8
Dot stories
1
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 05 2024
0.19
1.13
"Habit de Bonnetier," or "hosier's outfit"
2
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 06 2024
0.61
0.51
"fouloir" or "press." A clothing press applies heat to fabrics. At the time, clothing was pressed by placing it in a metal box and applying heat externally using hot coals.
3
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 06 2024
0.49
0.65
"petitte pince," or "small clothes peg"
4
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 06 2024
0.16
0.18
"Grand ciseaux," or "large scissors"
5
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 06 2024
0.36
0.29
bonnet à poil is bearskin
6
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 06 2024
0.51
0.3
"oreille" meaning ear, referring to the ear-flap of the hat
Others, like the le hosier, or someone who makes knitwear, appear more upper class and elite due to the economic standing needed to buy his wares. Indeed, his tools and materials, such as clothing and scissors, seem more familiar to us and present something more comforting and less alien.
Dots count
2
Dot stories
1
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 05 2024
0.18
1.14
"Habit de Boulanger," or "baker's outfit"
2
katharine
(@katharine)
Jan 06 2024
0.22
0.21
He holds a baking peel, a mop, and a hook. The peel and hook are used to take bread out of a hot fire oven.
Dots count
6
Dot stories
1
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Dec 29 2023
0.3
0.43
"Toutes sortes eau et de liqueur " means "All kinds of water and liquor"
2
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Dec 29 2023
0.44
0.44
"ca eau de Vie" means "this water of life"
3
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Dec 29 2023
0.25
1.12
"habit de caffetier" means "Coffee maker's outfit"
4
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Dec 29 2023
0.46
0.19
He wears a house for a hat, referring to the coffee house culture of the time period.
5
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Jan 04 2024
0.5
0.32
He seems to be at leisure, representing the middle class man of the time with enough time to not work and partake in conversation at the coffee-house.
6
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Jan 05 2024
0.45
0.63
He wears goblets and pipes on his belt, his trade tools marking the center of his figure
Dots count
4
Dot stories
1
tomadmin
(@tomadmin)
Dec 27 2023
0.75
1.13
2
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Dec 30 2023
0.71
0.46
Harvesting hook or sickle for gathering basketmaking materials
3
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Jan 05 2024
0.49
0.27
This bird-shaped basket forms the shape of the basketmaker's headdress. Though unclear what specific bird is presented, here we can see elements of the fantastical mixing with actual tools and elements of the basket-making trade.
Notice the juxtaposition of the tools of the trade. The axe and knives create the silhouette of a fashionable individual while also emphasizing the necessity of tools to the tradesman's work.
5
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Jan 05 2024
0.58
0.47
His arm appears to go through some form of plucked poultry, representing another aspect of the butchery trade.
6
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Jan 05 2024
0.38
0.57
A table for displaying his goods and for cutting the meat forms the center line of the butcher
Notice the juxtaposition of the tradesman's tools and its similarity to the other portraits in this collection. They create the silhouette of a fashionable individual while also referring to the specific tools of their trade.
6
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Jan 04 2024
0.6
0.3
the historical version of a speed square for accuracy with square angles
7
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Jan 05 2024
0.36
0.56
A masonry trough forms the waistline of this tradesman.
8
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Jan 05 2024
0.43
0.47
These are masonry templates.
Dots count
7
Dot stories
1
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Dec 29 2023
0.72
0.72
Notice the yokes for oxen, attached to a two-wheeled vehicle.
2
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Dec 29 2023
0.69
0.35
Sickle for wheat collection
3
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Dec 30 2023
0.2
1.12
"Habit de laboureur" means "ploughman's outfit"
4
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Dec 30 2023
0.21
0.93
Sheaf of wheat
5
Gabrielle Ly
(@gabrielle_ly)
Jan 04 2024
0.23
0.63
This is similar to a wooden plow. This one is from 1915, however the plow has not changed drastically in the last several centuries.
Larmessin Whimsical Costumes of Professions - Rich Breiman Collection - Curated by Gabrielle Ly
Exhibit Stories:
Larmessin Whimsical Costumes of Professions - Rich Breiman Collection - Curated by Gabrielle Ly
April 2024 - To view voice note transcript, scroll to the bottom.
Gabrielle's text:
Nicolas de Larmessin I (1632-1694) was a printmaker, known for his portraiture. Apprenticed to Jean Mathieu in 1647, de Larmessin later married the daughter of publisher Pierre Bertrand in 1654 and took over his stock in 1678. Bertrand published many of Larmessin’s works.
His collection “Grotesque Costumes,” also known as Habits des meters et professions or Les costumes grotesques et les metiers, features tradesmen and tradeswomen with the wardrobe and tools of their craft. Portraying each tradesperson in the standard costume stance of the time, Larmessin’s portrait combines the influence of ballet costumes, portraying them in a fanciful documentary style. Though the costumes were first created by de Larmessin, his brother or son Nicholas de Larmessin II expanded on this idea of portraying the trades and added thirty-two plates to the collection. To have the full collection of roughly one hundred designs in one place is quite rare.
These prints are “productively positioned between the fantastic and lived experience” (Pullins). Created by a tradesman like Larmessin, the portraits ought to be seen in reference to his time (representing trades, fashions, and culture of the time) and referring to the art world. The portraits walk a fine line, in tension between two opposing worlds. To the viewer, this collection deals with familiar materials of French life, though framed like an ethnography print. It lends a fantastical lens to the domestic, changing one’s preexisting perspective.
David Pullins, Techniques of the Body: Viewing the Arts and Métiers of France from the Workshop of Nicolas I and Nicolas II de Larmessin, Oxford Art Journal, Volume 37, Issue 2, June 2014, Pages 135–155, https://doi-org.stmarys-ca.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/oxartj/kcu005
Nicolas I de Larmissin was a French engraver. Born in 1632, he produced a vast portfolio of work in his lifetime. Most of his work was portraiture, and was often in series: this exhibit features his costumes of professions. Absurdly impractical and opulent, these costumes draw attention to features of various professions in a playful and mocking way. Intricate details give insights into the professions depicted, yet there is an obviously exaggerated aspect of the pieces.
Nicolas de Larmessin was a French engraver born in Paris in 1632. He came from a family of famous generational engravers and printers who worked in the 17th and 18th centuries. Nicolas de Larmessin is known for creating etched pictures of various artisans and skilled laborers. His work, characterized by attention to detail, is part of a series of satires and grotesques of the professions from the 1700s. Little is known about his life, but he is recognized for engraving a number of portraits. He was the elder brother of Nicolas de Larmessin II, who was also a French artist. The goal of Nicolas de Larmessin's artwork depicting artisans and skilled laborers is not fully documented.
