Reading Assignment - ‘And her black satin gown must be

Reading Assignment

‘And her black satin gown must be

new-bodied’: The Twenty-First-Century

Body in Pursuit of the Holbein Look’

Understanding the construction of an early sixteenth-century women’s dress presents many challenges. This following study used contemporary archeological, pictorial and documentary evidence to inform alternative experimental approaches to constructing the garments worn on a woman’s torso in the 1540s. The challenge lay in the disparity between contemporary portrayals of ladies in formal French gowns and the effect obtained by putting a modern woman into clothes which embodied current understanding of this style of dress. While the dangers of relying solely on portraiture as a source for costume reproduction are well known, the drawings and paintings of English sitters which were produced by Hans Holbein the Younger in the late 1530s and early 1540s do merit special consideration. First the survival of a considerable number of his works has ensured that his view of the ladies and gentlemen of the Tudor court has become representative of the age. Second Holbein was sufficiently aware of clothing to do a number of costume studies and was in his own time commended for capturing his subjects with such realism that it seemed as though the sites themselves were present. Whatever their size and shape, the ladies who sat to Holbein and his contemporaries seem to have had their gowns sprayed on to them. At first, the repeated practical experiments in varying the cut and boning of the reproduction gowns met with very limited success. Over the same period of time, however, increasingly detailed study was required in order to inform the interpreters about the nature and significance of their clothes. An interpreter should be able to refer to, for example, her ‘kirtle’ (as opposed to her ‘underdress’ or other modern term) and should be able to explain which features define it as a kirtle and which features might vary from one kirtle to another, whether this kirtle represents daily or special wear for her, how many kirtles she might have, how she would have obtained them, how much they would have cost and how long they might be expected to last. Although the archaeological survivals and the documentary evidence leave many questions unanswered, it seemed possible that a lady at the Henrician court might be wearing as many as five layers on her torso. No stone was left unturned in the search for the Holbein look, experiments were made with locating the stiffening in each of these four layers in turn. Hypothesis One: Stiffening the Gown. Gowns with stiffened bodies certainly existed at other periods, and boning the gown has traditionally been the practice in the theatrical context. When fully boned, and responsible for shaping the torso, this bodice produced the infamous rampart and a very rigid look not in keeping with the hint of the curve of the bust which is visible in many of the portraits. Hypothesis Two: Stiffening a Pair of Bodies. The obvious choice for stiffening was the innermost garment of all. The existence of the term ‘a pair of bodies’ in contemporary documents seemed at first to settle the master – by the end of the century this term clearly denoted a type of corset. Hypothesis Three: Stiffening the Petticoat. The expedient, with the gown bodice lying directly over the boned petticoat, was more comfortable than the separate bodies, but showed only a little improvement in appearance over the practice of boning the gown. Hypothesis Four: Stiffening the Kirtle. It was the closer examination of certain portraits that made this last option so plausible. When the back closure and boning pattern of the Munich bodies were applied to the kirtle bodice, the result was a marked improvement in fit and appearance. The thickness of the gown bodice (forebodies and placard combined) matched pretty well with the thickness of the square standing out from the kirtle, so that in profile the line from shoulder to waist became very smooth. In further investigations, from 2002 the costumes representing ladies of 1540 were accordingly made or remade with stiffened kirtle. The gowns were boned only along the lacing edge of the forebodies, and the petticoats had minimal and unstiffened upperbodies. This practice provided both comfort and the right look for all the various sizes and shapes. Experiments with the period materials have proved that the best substitutes for these in reproduction bodies are plastic or thin strips o cane. These are suitable for all areas except the center front of pointed bodies where a more substantial busk of wood, bone or steel is necessary. A combination of study and practical experiment has led to the conclusion that the most effective way of reproducing the characteristic early Tudor look is to provide the kirtle with a back-lacing, partly-boned pair of bodies, and more recent investigations suggest the possible advantages of reducing the stiffening yet further.

BY Jessica De Moraes

Paris Assignment

Title of work: The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Joséphine on December 2, 1804

Artist: Jacques Louis David

Date: 1807

Present location of work: Musée Du Louvre, Paris, France

               This painting is of great historical value as it depicts one of the most important moments in history, the coronation of the Emperor and Empress. The artist Jacques Louis David is one of the most influential French painters in the Neoclassical style. David was an active supporter of the French Revolution. With the fall of his close friend and top influential figure in the Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre, David was arrested. In the late 1797 David met Napoleon I and was granted a single portrait sitting. Before the French Revolution, David’s major history paintings, inspired in contemporary events, were based on subjects of ancient history and distant civilizations. This choice of subjects was keeping with that of the French Academy, which placed higher importance in historical facts and moments than those of scenes of the contemporary life. However with the Revolution, David and his contemporaries place more focus on the Revolution and its heroes. Fond of David’s work, Napoleon I named David the official court painter after the proclamation of the Empire. David subsequently increasingly worked on this new Imperial iconography, developing his Empire style, characterized by the use of warm colors.

In 1804 Napoleon commissioned this painting to portrait the magnificence of his coronation. This painting as well as others David has done of Napoleon I is a sublime piece of political propaganda. Meticulously crafted, it’s rich in details, and symbols of imperial power such as the eagle-topped scepter, the globe, and the hand of Justice. The artist of this painting was present himself at the event depicted. Napoleon I wanted this painting to carry such a great representation of the moment that David had to make changes to reality under Napoleon’s demand. Studies of sketches made at the moment and also during some pre-studies the artist made at his work shop present further details that were changed. Examples of this is the presence in the painting of people that were not there in reality such as Napoleon’s mother Letizia Bonaparte (“Madame Mère”) and his brother Joseph Bonaparte. To accommodate Napoleon’s wish, David downsized the structure of Notre-Dame Cathedral to give bigger perspective of figures. The Pope was previously presented with his hands in his lap, and later lifted with the gesture of blessing.

This great historical painting contains highly elaborated and precious garments from its time period presented with an incredible richness of details. The Napoleon period had an enormous impact in fashion. With the Revolution followed by Napoleon’s dramatic rise to power, the period between 1789 and 1815, saw an old world collapse and a new one rise from the ashes. In just a few years, skirts with paniers, heavily laden with embroidery and lace, gave space for the flowing, diaphanous tunics of the young, fashionable women. During the French Revolution feminine costume continued to evolve along the path to freedom. One of the most daring revolutionary measures was the prohibition of the boned corset as damaging to good health, dresses begun to have a more straight and fluid line. In the beginning of this period, dresses started to often display the national colors: blue, white, and red. The dresses were long with quite low-cut and the waits, which were always marked by means of ribbon, scarves, or sashes, began quickly to move up the rib cage.

Josephine Bonaparte led the way into the new path of fashion in France. To avoid shocking people’s sensibilities too much or making too definitive a break between the fashions of the Directoire (1795-1799) and those approved by the Consulat (1799-1804), Josephine chose a close-fitting dress with a high-waist bodice. Sleeves gained a surprising new popularity. After being abandoned during the Directoire, they became the final elegant touch. Dressmakers offered them in endless variety for different occasions. Women’s costume was heavily influenced by Neoclassical themes.

When the Empire was declared in 1804 it outlined once and for all the formal dress of the emperor, empress, French princes, and high dignitaries of the new Empire. It was first displayed at the coronation ceremony presented in the painting. The costumes worn at the ceremony were rich in details and charged with meaning and symbolism. The emperor’s grand costume was composed of several elements. A very ample red velvet imperial robe was speckled with gold bees which were his personal emblem, as well as mythic motifs surrounding the initial “N”. Underneath he wore a white satin tunic with gold embroidery. Josephine also wore a red velvet robe, with same decoration as Napoleon’s, on top a silver brocade dress.

The costume served as the model for the empress’s other court costume, a one-piece, straight, high-waist dress with puff sleeves, with or without a lace cherusque, over which she wore a court train. All ladies of the court wore costume of the same design as the empress’s. The costumes designed for the coronation ceremonies for the men present, set the formal costume to be worn at court. It was strongly inspired by the costume of the emperor, knee-length mantle, coat, vest, knee breeches, lace cravat, and plumed hat.

BY Jessica De Moraes

The Stibbert Museum

The Stibbert Museum was created by Frederick Stibbert.  He was a young man that inherited his family fortune and dedicated his life into collecting objects, antiques, paintings and artifacts. The collection he created is presented in two spaces, the museum part of the villa and what once were the family’s personal rooms. The visit starts with a huge room that contains several paintings on the walls. It then continues on with rooms filled with European armor, and following are Middle Eastern armoury. There is an enormous room called “sala della cavalcata” (“room of the ride”) which was a room created in order to make a connection between the museum area and the villa. In this room there are 12 knights on horses, first 4 are presented with Italian armor, mid 4 have German armor and the last 4 have Middle Eastern (Islamic) armor.

It was fascinating to me to see the difference between the European and Middle Eastern armoury. The European armours were mainly from Italy, Germany and France, and they were from late Medieval period (15^th century) to Early Modern period (16^th to 18^th century). The helmets, even though from different periods, had basically the same shape with small differences in details. They were made of steel in a round shape as the head, usually with a higher elevation in the middle that simulates a Mohawk in steel. The front part of the helmet where the face was located differs one from another in small details. Some of them even had animal faces designs; others had pointy shapes, a more sharp shape.

Going forward with the European armour, the complete body suit was made of fully articulated rigid plate-armor made of metal, an evolution to primary leather body protections. As armies got bigger the metal quality went down, therefore needing to be thicker. The armours from this period (around 15^th to 18^th century) were extremely heavy and difficult to move and be agile with it. Warriors needed much training before being able to fight with this heavy metal protections. As in Europe the battles were more characterize by body to body fights, with less distance in between warriors, there was a higher need for this heavy armour. These armours protected the body very well but gave less flexibly on movements, and on riding and flight on a horse. Their swords were also extremely heavy. They were made out of steel and had long and straight shapes.

When it comes to the Middle Eastern armoury, it was quite different from the European. The helmets in the armoury of Islamic origin had a pointy shape on top. It resembles to me a funnel shape pointing up. They were not closed on the front as many helmets of European origin, and they had quite more patterns and decorations such as feathers. Some helmets had additional protection on the neck area. It was consisted of a round shape “metal fabric”, it hanged like fabric but it was made of small metal chains attached close together.

The complete body suit armour was apparently much lighter than the European ones. They look like big sweaters made out of steel chains attached very close together, not leaving any space in between. As their battles were much more characterized by combat on horses, they needed to be more agile and flexible; therefore their protections couldn’t be too heavy or too rigid as the European. The Islamic swords had a much more curvy shape than the straight thick swords Europeans used in battles. Reason is the difference of interaction and movements used during combat. The curvy shape of the Islamic sword made their “spin movement” faster and effective. While the straight European sword was more effective in body to body combats during wars in Europe.  

The Islamic arms and armors were decorated using a variety of techniques such as damascening, gilding, inlay, gold and silver encrusting, as well as setting with jewels and enameling. Even the armours the horses used had so much decorative details and were very colorful.

BY Jessica De Moraes

           

                      

Class Readings: Walter Albini

Walter Albini: Style in Fashion

   In the 1970's, Walter Albini had a key role in the revolution of Italian fashion and international ready-to-wear. Albini was the first to initiate a series of innovative reforms in Italian fashion that responded to the changing market. These innovations included freeing the designer from the anonymity of the world of production and treating him as a creator in the world of high fashion and recognizing the need for the fashion industry to provide styles and images, so that it could reach new market segments. Albini really showed the change in relationship between stylist and the fashion industry during this time. He worked closely with fabric manufacturers and enhanced the presence of the designer in industrial production by being a somewhat freelance designer, creating collections for multiple manufacture brands. He also helped create specialized companies in different sections of industry, so that they could collaborate to produce a collection with a recognizable brand name. Their was also the idea of dividing the workload between a very expensive, limited sales line, as well as a more commercial collection that actually is the moneymaker. He revolutionized the pret-a-porter style so that it has the elite voice of high fashion without the uniqueness that is unwearable. In his 1973 interview with WWD, he said “I hate high fashion. In fashion today there isn't anything new. What's new is in the cut of pret-a-porter. Today it is funny to put fashion along side clothes that are wearable.” Known as the “pret-a-porter man,” Albini created a mix between high fashion haute couture and pret-a-porter fashion that was hard to rival. He broke boundaries in ready-to-wear with his “total look” designs and created “anti high-fashion” high fashion collections that were unlike anything else in the industry. His synergy between style and life were a common theme among his clothes. It was interesting because each collection he created was represented in his house during that time. When he created an urban, working clothes collection for Trell, his house became a high-tech abode with metal furniture, grey tones, and urban technology. Depending on the collection he was working on, his house would transition into that style. Every total look he created was of course a radical change from the one before. Accessories were also key to his looks. They weren't just an extra piece but rather they added and impacted the whole style. In his Venice collection, the clothes were only sold complete with the accessories.

   Walter Albini was an internationally successful stylist that updated looks from all different periods and revolutionized the idea of a “total look” ready-to-wear design. He changed the preconceived idea of a stylist and brought his revolutionary ideas to the forefront of the fashion industry during the 1970's. His entrepreneurial skills have yet to be matched by any other stylist worldwide.

By: Caitlyn Schultz

Museum of Bags and Purses

   While in Amsterdam I visited the Museum of Bags and Purses where they had an exhibition of bags ranging from the 17^th century all the way to the 21^st century. Starting from the earliest decade and working their way to current bags of the 2000's, the museum was full of different techniques of bag creation and materials, including embroidery, beading, ivory, plastic, leathers and skins, lace, velvet, metal, straw, wood, and tortoiseshell. 

   Each century evolved into using more sophisticated materials but I found the 17^th and 18^th century to be most intriguing. During this time bags and purses were used by both men and women to transport coins, documents, papers, bibles, holy relics, and personal items like key and cosmetics. They hung from waistbands or were attached to belts using long chords. Each bag also had a specific function. There were bags just to hold documents, and bags well as bags to carry gambling chips in. A bag filled with fragrant petals or perfumed powder petals would be hung around the waist and was known as a sweetbag. The most expensive bags and purses were made with embroidery in silk, gold, and silver thread.

   As times evolved and materials become more and more sophisticated, beaded bags became popular during the 19^th century as well as the use of ivory mixed with leather, snakeskin, and tortoiseshell. 

   During the early 2000's novelty bags in various shapes including cruise ships, telephones, fish, postcards, and champagne bottles became a fad. At the end of the exhibit, there was a displayed filled with iconic bags over the years from designers such as Chanel, Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent, and Mulberry. This museum was very interesting because it really showed the evolution of handbags from the middle ages all the up to current times and how much styles, shapes, materials, and purposes of purses and handbags have changed over 400 years.

By: Caitlyn Schultz

Eco-Chic: Natural Clothes at Keukenhof Gardens

   On a recent trip to Amsterdam, I visited the world famous Keukenhof Gardens where they put on a yearly flower display from March to May. Inside they had a pavilion with flowers on display along with mannequins wearing very interesting garments. At first glance, the dresses looked like they were constructed from fabric of some kind, but upon further examination I discovered that these garments were not made from any fabric material at all. They were were created solely from natural materials, including tree bark, egg shells, tree moss, leaves, straw, and sea shells.

   My favorite dresses had to be the egg shell dress and the sea shell dress. From a distance, the first looked like a sophisticated black and white patterned dress with a figure-hugging silhouette. When getting closer to the garment it was intriguing to see how they used the inside and outside of broken egg shells to create the black and white pattern. 

    

     

   The second dress was slightly bulkier than the egg shell dress but because of the shells, the dress had this pearly shine that made it stand out. From far away you would never know this dress was made from various types of shells and starfish. Although I'm unsure as to the construction of these garments, the selection of materials that were used made each piece extremely creative and innovative.

By: Caitlyn Schultz

Portrait de Dona Isabel de Requesens

The Portrait de Dona Isabel de Requenses was created by Raphael Sanzio (Raphael) and was executed by one of Raphael’s pupils, Giulio Romano on the basis of Raphael’s design. The painting which was formerly known as the Portrait of Jeanne d’Aragon was intended as a gift for Francis I, King of France. The oil on canvas painting was created in 1518 and can be viewed on display at the Louvre Museum.

            Raphael Sanzio, more commonly known as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His famous works were admired for his clarity of form.  He achieved the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur in many of his paintings. His most popular work, The School of Athens, is in the Vatican. Raphael’s work is held high in status alongside Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. He lived a short life, dying at the age of 37; however his career as an artist has been categorized into three phases. The first phase consisted of his early years in Umbria. Next, his second phase took place between the years of 1504-1508 when he was heavily influenced by the artistic traditions of Florence. Finally, his last phase occurred during the twelve years he spent in Rome working for two Popes and their associates. After his early years in Rome, much of his work was designed by him, but executed by his own workshop (consisting of around 50 pupils) from his drawings. One of his most important pupils was Guilio Romano.

 Isabel de Requenses (1500-cerca 1535), the woman shown in Portrait de Dona Isabel de Requenses, was the Vice-Queen of Naples. She was born in Catalonia to the Admiral of Catalonia, Galceran de Requesens, and his wife Beatriz Enriquez. In 1506, her father died and she inherited his County of Palamos and the great wealth that came with it.  She was made the ward of her cousin, Ramón de Cardona (Duke of Soma), one of the most powerful aristocrats in Catalonia. Isabel married Ramón and moved to Naples once Ramon became Viceroy in 1509. She served as the Vicereine of Naples during her husband’s many absences as Commander of the armies of the Holy League. She was admired by many for her beauty, grace, and support of the arts. It is believed that Isabel was either 18 or 20 years old in the painting by Raphael and Guilio. It is also said that Raphael painted her face and Guilio painted the rest of the portrait.

Isabel grew up during the Renaissance in Italy. With the Renaissance came a lot of changes in women’s dress.  Italian fashion during the 15th and 16th centuries was primarily influenced by the art of the time. Masterpieces by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Botticelli all had a major impact on Italian fashion. Humanism and the idealism of the human body were prevalent during the Renaissance. Clothing was natural in its shape, enabling women to move freely with grace and elegance. Lines were simple and they hugged the figure.  Though the lines were basic, clothing was extravagantly decorated. The elegant richness of dress was highly encouraged. The wealthier you were, the more expensive the fabrics were that were used in your clothing.  Silk, brocade, and velvet were considered prestigious fabrics. Isabel was wealthy, which can be easily seen through the velvet fabric that her dress is made from. 

Dresses gradually lost their long trains, and flowing skirts became increasingly popular. Clothes of servants and farmers (people of lower stature) were a lot shorter than those of the upper classes. In the painting, Isabel’s dress is long, which is also another indication that she is wealthy. Another big change that occurred during the Renaissance was that women began showing their hair again. Women’s headdresses were the most intricate, ever-changing part of women’s fashions during the Renaissance. Women actually spent hours plucking hair from their foreheads and sides of their faces in order to achieve the look of a high forehead. High foreheads were considered fashionable. Women would wear their hair down and their heads would be adorned with coiffures with shimmering veils and jewels. The more jewels your headdress had, the higher your status. In the portrait, Isabel’s hair is shown, and her forehead does appear to be fairly large. This is a definite indication that she was current with the new trends of the time. Her headdress is also adorned with jewels and pearls, yet another indication of her high status.

During the Renaissance, Italy was famous for velvets, laces, brocades, silk, gold and silver cloth, and embroidered fabrics with pearls and jewels (manufactured in Genoa, Milan, Bologna, and Venice). The use of fur for collars, much like the collar on Isabel’s gown, also became popular. The Renaissance brought belts (cinctures) and girdles, earrings, finger rings, and brooches. You can see the belt on Isabel’s gown, enhancing her womanly, natural figure. Handkerchiefs were also introduced. They were made of linen or cambric, richly embroidered, and edged with lace or fringe.

In the early 16^th century, women’s gowns were characterized by a square neckline edged with embroidery or velvet banding.  A long, full skirt was often held up at the sides or fastened at sides/back to display the lining and the under-gown. Sleeves consisted of two sections. The long chemise sleeve could be seen by the material that was puffed out between the two sleeve parts. This technique can be seen in the portrait of Isabel. Over the chemise and under the under-gown, a fitted linen bodice was worn to preserve the slender silhouette.

Color was also very important in clothing during the Italian Renaissance. The color red indicated power, prestige, royalty, and high social status. Isabel wears red in the painting, which is fitting because she was of high social ranking.  Orange was used by many of the peasants and middle class people in attempt to imitate upper class reds. They dyed their clothes with cheaper orange-reds and russet dyes. Green meant love and joy, and also youth. If a woman wore light blue, it meant she was a young, marriageable woman. Grey was considered a color of poverty in the early Renaissance times, while black meant nobility and wealth.

            In conclusion, when studying a portrait, it is very important to understand what was happening during the time period the piece was created. By studying Renaissance costume, and the biographies of Raphael Zanzio and Isabel de Requesens, we are able to gain a better understanding of the costume displayed in Portrait de Dona Isabel de Requesens.

Post by: Erica Dixon