Entitled: "A side box at the opera." The 18th century was an age of elegance. Never in European history do we see men and women so elaborately artificial, so far removed from natural appearance. What could not be done with the natural hair was made with wigs. This epoch was an extravagant explosion of amazing hairstyles, a reaction completely opposed to the modesty and shyness of former centuries. In the mid-to-late 18th century, large, elaborate and often themed wigs were in vogue for women. These combed-up hair extensions were often very heavy, weighted down with pomades, powders, and other ornamentation. Engraving by J. Wingrave, April 14, 1784.