Kees Van Dongen (Dutch, 1877–1968), La Parisienne (La Dame au Chien) or Parisian Lady, 1910, oil on canvas, 28 1/2 x 24 1/4 in. Paul Mellon Collection, 83.21. © via ARS Reproduction, including downloading of ARS works is prohibited by copyright laws and international conventions without the express written permission of Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
- Type: Art Audio File
- Collection: European Art
- Culture/Region: Europe
- Grade Level: 9-12, College, Adult
In the early 1900s, fashionable women wore large hats adorned with flowers, ribbons, lace, and most strikingly, birds. Not just a stunning sight, a hat piled with large, colorful, or exotic feathers also reflected a woman’s high social standing. Snowy egret, heron, and ostrich plumes were some of the most sought-after accessories; however, milliners often incorporated into their designs whole stuffed songbirds and hummingbirds!
The winter 1897 issue of Harper’s Bazaar speaks to the detrimental impact that the fashionable hat trade had on birds:
That there should be an owl or ostrich left with a single feather apiece hardly seems possible!