[INSERT 1-SENTENCE ABSTRACT OF YOUR CONCLUSIONS HERE. WRITE AFTER YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR ANALYSIS].

About the Portrait

Keep this large capital letter at the start of  your analysis. Questions to consider:

 

The artist
  • Who is the artist?
  • Age? Nationality?
  • Part of what artistic movement?
  • At what point in his/her career did he/she paint this portrait?

I recommend searching Oxford Art Online for this biographical information.

The sitter
  • Who is the sitter?
  • Age? Nationality?
  • Occupation? Family?
  • Did they commission the portrait?
  • Do we know anything about the painting process?
  • Are there sketches or related works?
  • Are there other portraits or photographs of this sitter?

The museum’s entry on your artwork is a good place to start.

The reception (if known)
  • Was this work exhibited publicly shortly after it was created?
  • If so, how was it received?
  • Did this portrait affect the artist’s career?
Possible Comparison images for “About the Portrait” include:
  • Any other portraits of the same sitter by this artist or a different artist?
  • Or a similar portrait of a different sitter by the same artist?
  • Or of the sitter’s spouse/relative?
  • A photo of the sitter?
  • Any related sketches?
  • Or an image of the artist?

Gilbert Stuart (American, 1755–1828). Matilda Stoughton de Jaudenes, 1794. Oil on canvas; 128.6 x 100.3 cm (50 5/8 x 39 1/2 in). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1907.07.76. Rogers Fund. Source: The Met

About the Fashion

K eep this large capital letter, replacing it with the relevant letter when you’ve written your analysis.

SOME QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER… You don’t have to answer them all!

The dress
  • Identify the costume shown, beginning with the main garments.
  • Try to identify the materials the garments were probably made out of.
  • Use correct terminology for dress parts.
The accessories
  • Identify the accessories shown and their materials.
  • Are there parts of the outfit that we can’t see, but were likely worn (underwear, shoes, etc.)?
The sources
  • How was this costume likely made and acquired?
  • Could any of it have been made by machine?
  • Could any of the garments and accessories be purchased ready-made at this date?
  • If we know the designer, give a brief introduction to him/her as you did for the artist above.
The setting & context
  • Establish the social setting and context of your portrait.
  • How formal is the costume shown in the portrait?
  • What time of day (morning, afternoon or evening), place (court, city or country), specific activity (e.g., riding, travelling, walking, shopping, visiting, dancing, etc.) is the costume appropriate for?
  • Does the costume reflect special circumstances, such as mourning or wedding costume?
  • What does this individual’s costume tell you about his/her place in society?
The ideal
  • What is the ideal of the body and of physical beauty at this date?
  • How well does the person in your portrait measure up to the ideal?
  • Compare the portrait to at least two other portraits in museum collections and/or to period fashion plates and/or the illustrations in our textbook and other fashion histories.
The fashion
  • Try to find surviving examples of similar garments and accessories in museum collections.
  • Illustrate and cite what you find by giving the object’s name, materials and museum location, including the accession number.
  • How fashionable is the individual in your portrait?
  • Is his or her appearance in advance of fashion, right in step with it, or conservative or old-fashioned?
  • Is the costume an example of anti-fashion or non-fashion?
  • Does it relate to contemporary trends in art and design (e.g. Baroque, Rococo, Neo-Classicism, Renaissance Revival, Rococo Revival, the Aesthetic Movement, Art Nouveau, etc.)?
  • What does this individual’s costume reveal about his/her personal style?

Diagram of referenced dress features.
Source: Author

Possible Comparison images for “About the Fashion” include:
  • Fashion plate showing a similar costume
  • Advertisement showing a similar costume
  • Fashion photograph showing a similar costume
  • Published caricature or sketch of similar costume
  • Another contemporaneous artwork showing a similar costume
  • A surviving garment similar to that seen in your portrait
  • Similar accessories from the same period

Its Legacy

Keep this large capital…

In this section, discuss:
  • Has this work had an influence on later artists?
  • Has it inspired modern/contemporary designers?
  • Does it appear at all in popular culture?
  • Any later impact or influence…
Possible Comparison images for “Its Legacy” include:
  • Other artworks it inspired
  • Work by modern/contemporary designers
  • Any relevant pop culture references
If there is no relevant modern connection to make, you can delete this section.

References:

  • INSERT YOUR BIBLIOGRAPHY FROM ZOTERO HERE as a bulleted list.
  • CHICAGO-STYLE: 16TH EDITION, FULL NOTE.
  • ALPHABETICAL BY LAST NAME/TITLE, IF YOU’RE ADDING ANY SOURCES NOT FROM ZOTERO.
  • Be sure to include:
    • Museum website link for your artwork
    • Oxford Art Online entry on your artist
    • AT LEAST 3 book sources
    • Other credible sources (like those linked from the Timeline’s Century Overview pages)