Pardon Madame, Cushion

Pardon Madame, c’est que une cage à oiseaux? Or in English, Pardon Madame, do you know there is a bird cage on your head ? Free hand digital painting, overlaid with textures to mimic that of an aged antiqued mirror. Inspired by the 18th Century French court of Louis and Marie Antoinette in Versailles . In the mid- to late-1770s, huge hair became all the rage. The height of these styles was generally about 1 to 1 1/2 times the length of the face, and was styled in what was considered a pyramid shape (it also looks very much like a hot air balloon. This high hairstyle, called the pouf, was created using toques (or “cushions”) which were made of fabric or cork and shaped like a heart or spear. It was attached to the top of the head, and then natural and false hair was curled, waved, or frizzed and piled over and around the cushion. Such elaborate hairstyles could be worn for days or weeks at a time. The pouf was often styled into allegories of current events, such as à l’inoculation(vaccine), ballon (Montgolfier balloon experiments); or concepts, such as à la Zodiaque, à la frivolité, des migraines, etc. Ornaments included lots of ribbons, pearls, jewels, flowers, feathers, as well as ships, birdcages, and other items that evoked the theme.Original Artwork © Wickedly Lovely/Julie McIver