Detail from an Antique Engraving by By Carle Vernet ( French, 1758 - 1836)

Two "Incredibles" meet on the street, wearing the classic exaggerated dress of the rakish gent of the Directoire period. This series of prints and gifts are based on two original antique engravings in our collections. We are offering multiple different versions of these prints – some have the old paper with its imperfections as the background, others have been digitally cleaned for a more modern effect.

Please be sure to see all of our Les Incroyables Gifts!

Les Incroyables - The Apogee of Dandyism

At the end of the French Revolution, following the fall of Robespierre and the end of the Terror, a wave of relief and of fashion giddiness swept Paris. Young men known as "Les Incroyables" (the incredibles) and their female counterparts "Les Merveilleuses" (the marvelous ones) rejoiced in a wildly exaggerated look which flouted the social conventions of the time. They were the ultimate dandy set, the golden youth of their time, arrogant and outrageous.