Hairstyles and Fashions in Québec:
Portraits of Women, 1790-1860 

Between 1790 and 1860, ninety percent of the population of Lower Canada was rural and undifferentiated. The remaining ten percent included the landed gentry, Québec’s clergy, prosperous merchants and liberal arts practicioners. The ladies of this group enjoyed being seen and assigned importance to appearance. Elaborate hairstyles, sumptuous dresses and costly accessories were the pride of society women whom portraitists sought to capture on canvas. The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec presents this introduction to the art of hairstyling and fashion between 1790 and 1860 based on a selection of full-scale portraits and miniatures from its collections. Silver and gold pieces, jewellery, photographs and furnishings provide a bridge between the works by giving visitors a glimpse of the public and private spheres inhabited by the sophisticates of that era. Curated by Daniel Drouin.