This is not your typical, stuffy tour through an exhibit. The furniture and other luxury items of the day give the audience a vivid glimpse of Libertine life, complete in its saucy context. Each room housed a different daily scenario, from entertaining guests to more intimate moments, such as the lady dressed in her néligé du matin, having her hair done with her suitor present. As I took notes, there were plenty of giggles from the older women recognizing these erotic elements within the exhibit.

About thirty decadent ensembles of these men and women can be seen here. Gorgeous examples of the formal robe à la française are seen in opulent silks and brocades, exaggerating women’s seductive curves with conic stays and wide panniers. The horizontal volume is offset with the height of the elaborate hairdos, coiffed to perfection with feathers. I felt incredibly lucky to be able to get relatively close to look at the embroidered and other lush details of these clothes.

It is amazing to imagine the weight of the hair and layers of fabric; at five foot six, I towered over these diminutive mannequins. The navigational considerations of these costumes also comes to mind, as I saw “A Consoling Merchant”, a display of a male merchant stealing a kiss and a grope from a lovely lady, as her skirt knocks over a vase, while her husband is examining a jewelry chest.

The storytelling behind these scenes was left up to the imagination of the viewers as the scholarly notes from the leaflets was read, although the last scene of the two lovers on a daybed and armchair made for Marie Antoinette was blatantly clear.