The title, Settling the
Odd Trick, borrows from card game parlance, but here the real
trick lies in the spectacle of fashion gone mad. Four women sit
tightly gathered around a card table, each intent on the outcome of
the game. Two are arguing: one accuses the other of cheating, and
the second is about to settle the matter using a candlestick as a
weapon. But whatever tension exists between them is eclipsed by the
sheer absurdity of their towering hairstyles—ornate piles of curls,
feathers, and ribbons that stretch far above their heads and nearly
collide mid-air. They are dressed in voluminous 18th-century gowns,
with ribbons, lace, and feathers adorning their towering wigs. Their
exaggerated appearances contrast comically with the simple act of
playing cards, turning a genteel pastime into a visual farce. The
ornate setting, complete with patterned carpet and large framed
mirror, reinforces the opulence and absurdity of the fashion. As was
later stated about such hairstyles, 'Writers and satirists of the
time criticised the widespread destruction of bird populations, all
to fuel the fashion for feathered accessories. They painted a
picture of poor birds left to wander, stripped of their feathers,
while humans strutted around proudly wearing the spoils—looking no
less absurd for it.'
