La moda francesa y el terremoto de Lima de 1746

Abstract

In 1746 the city of Lima was devastated by a powerful earthquake that provoked a tsunami that practically destroyed nearby Callao’s port. At that time the explanations concerting the origin of natural disasters were of a religious rather than a scientific nature. Therefore, the Catholic Church suggested that the French female fashion that encouraged deeper neck lines, together with shorter sleeves and skirts showing the ankles, may have induced the divine wrath which manifested itself with the seismic onslaught. The provocative newly introduced dress designs were widely used by the women from the upper class and emulated by the popular sectors. The initial impact of the arguments presented against the French fashion was short lived. Eventually French designs would establish its dominance in Lima society and natural disasters were reinterpreted through the scientific arguments of the Enlightenment.

Keywords

• iconography
• earthquake
• religious control
• French fashion