Arts & International Affairs: Volume 2, Issue 1 | Page 88

These young women who emerged on the social and political scene were
known as the Merveilleuses—the Marvelous Ones—and took society by storm
under the Directory (Note �). They performed beauty in a highly theatrical
fashion, similar to modern-day celebrities. The historical moment was
ripe for these women to make their mark; according to Caroline Rossiter,
“There seems to be an obsession with visibility and the idea of seeing and
being seen in the public space” under the Directory, much as there is today
(Rossiter ����:��). Fashionable and somewhat scandalous clothing played
an important and explicitly political role as women rejected the modesty of
the previous few years and put their bodies on display in a way that shocked
contemporary observers. Most popular was the “robe à l’athénienne”, a light,
high-waisted, Greek costume, made of muslin or gauze, “which was white
and practically transparent. Greek-style sandals, and rings on the toes
were fashionable accessories for such an outfit” (Lyons ����:���). Observers
were most fascinated by the see-through effect of the new clothes, highly
flattering to those with an attractive figure. Many criticized the sexually
provocative dress of these women, but the Merveilleuses and the Incroyables
(the Incredible Ones, their male counterparts) created a new mood of
glamour as people crowded around to watch these new celebrities attend
theater performances or gather at the Tivoli Gardens. The public and the
burgeoning press examined their activities and appearance with fascination,
as did politicians, many of whom resented their defiant flair that seemed to
reject the serious business of republicanism.
Like the celebrities who perform for us today—the Kardashians come
to mind—these women were beautiful, glamorous, fashionable, and
omnipresent. Basking in their wealth, beauty, style, a riveted media and a
fascinated public, the Merveilleuses drew attention from both the political
class and a popular audience (Note �). Their frequent appearances at the
Frascati gambling house and gardens, as well as Tivoli and Longchamps, were
recorded in the press, and crowds waited to see them arrive at these venues.
One imagines a red carpet in the breathless descriptions recorded in a wide
variety of new journals that played the role of our modern paparazzi and
social media platforms, commenting regularly on the fashions and activities
of these women.
Women associated with the Merveilleuses, such as Thérésia Tallien—described
by Elizabeth Amann as “queen of the merveilleuses, the arbiter of chic and
the cynosure of Directory society” (Amman ����:��) —and her companions
such as Joséphine de Beauharnais (future wife of Napoleon), Madame de
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