- artwork analysis
- garment analysis
1873 – Édouard Manet, The Railway
Édouard Manet's Railway depicts modern life in Paris during 1873; he chose to feature his favorite model, Victorine Meurent, assessing the viewer in a simple navy blue twill dress--book in hand and puppy in lap. She is seated alongside a little girl clad in a white springtime dress with an oversized blue sash whose back is turned to the viewer as she's observing the Gare Saint-Lazare on a warm day.
1865 – Cream silk taffeta evening dress
This charming 1865 cream silk taffeta dress features many design details of fashionable evening looks of the time, like a defined waist and passementerie.
- film analysis
- thematic essays
- year overview
1939 – Cukor, The Women / 1956 – Miller, The Opposite Sex
Trusting Park Avenue socialite Mary Haines (Norma Shearer) loses her husband to scheming shopgirl Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford), and can only win him back if she becomes as cunning as her so-called friends.
The Red Craze
This essay investigates how the color red was perceived and produced through the centuries in Europe. After an analysis of the various dyeing techniques, it focuses on the evolution of the value attributed to red in fashion and in society and the consequent changes made in the market.
- ancient
- early Middle Ages
- 14th century
- 15th century
- 16th century
chlamys
A chlamys is a rectangular cloak fastened at the neck or shoulder that wraps around the body like a cape.
1964 – Glenville, Becket
King Henry II of England comes to terms with his affection for his close friend and confidant Thomas à Becket, who finds his true honor by observing God's divine will rather than the king's.
particolored
Parti-color is the combination of different colors within the same garment along the vertical axis.
1487-88 – Davide Ghirlandaio, Selvaggia Sassetti (born 1470)
Selvaggia may not be the most fashionable and extravagant person of her time, but we cannot be sure about that until the rest of her dress is revealed.
The Red Craze
This essay investigates how the color red was perceived and produced through the centuries in Europe. After an analysis of the various dyeing techniques, it focuses on the evolution of the value attributed to red in fashion and in society and the consequent changes made in the market.
- 17th century
- 18th century
- 19th century
- 20th century
- 21st century
1642 – Ferdinand Bol, Portrait of a Woman
A highly successful artist in Amsterdam, Ferdinand Bol, much like Rembrandt, became known for the detailed characterization of his sitters--in particular his portraits of women. As is typical of a betrothal portraits, this image displays the sitter's wealth through her lavish textiles and jewelry.
1765 – Pompeo Girolamo Batoni, Portrait of a Young Man
Pompeo Batoni became the premiere portraitist for 18th-century English, Irish and Scottish gentlemen during their visit to Rome on the Grand Tour, as seen in this portrait of an unknown young man.
1866 – Auguste Toulmouche, The Hesitant Fiancée
In The Hesitant Fiancée, Auguste Toulmouche steps away from his usual depiction of beautiful yet idle women Emile Zola described as "Toulmouche's delicious dolls." He refines his style by painting a more complex subject--one of an arranged marriage that the bride clearly rebels against, as evidenced by the subject's direct gaze. Despite the shift of the subject matter, Toulmouche keeps to his standard of painting lavish gowns and luxurious backdrops.
1910-1919
Fashion at the start of the 1910s maintained elements of the previous decade, while beginning to move towards a simpler style. But mid-decade, World War I hit the Western world, causing fashion change to slow.
The Body: Fashion and Physique
“The Body: Fashion and Physique” explores fashion’s role in shaping and reflecting changing cultural ideals about the body through a selection of garments that highlight the origins and importance of contemporary body-positive trends.
RECENT ESSAYS
1884 – Edgar Degas, The Singer in GreenIn 1880-1889, 19th century, artwork analysis
1873 – Édouard Manet, The RailwayIn 1870-1879, 19th century, artwork analysis
1880 – Mary Cassatt, Lydia Crocheting in the Garden at MarlyIn 1880-1889, 19th century, artwork analysis
1887-1889 – Jean-Philippe Worth, Evening dressIn 1880-1889, 19th century, garment analysis
1865 – Cream silk taffeta evening dressIn 1860-1869, 19th century, garment analysis
