Galerie des Modes, 12e Cahier, 3e Figure

-

THE DELIGHTS OF THE BOIS DE BOULOGNE.  Gown of solid-colored taffeta in a soft color, trimmed with the same material.  The suit has a yellowish ground, dotted, with white vest and breeches. (1778)

Open and low-cut petite robe, leaving the compere uncovered, topped with a parfait contentement; trim matching the stuff of the dress in ruched bands; volant slightly raised, with a head caught in bouillons; gauze kerchief, untucked to let the two "children of love" take the fresh air.

Négligée coiffure, in chien couchant, with two curls; the brush is in the coque; pouf cap of Italian gauze; solid papillon, separated with a flower garland.  A large ribbon in a bow, with two hanging points, occupies the back of the coiffure.

The other Figure represents a young man in beverlet, with coupé collar; the ground is yellowish stuff, with large black and white spots; vest with open bavaroises,* leaving the top of the jabot visible; drop-front breeches, matching the material of the vest; a cord on each thigh.

Jacquet** hat, furred on the outside, with a gold cord around it coming in the front and ending with an oval button.  Two finger curls, in the style of Clerval.

This young man holds over his arm the mantelet with flared points of his amiable company, and toys with her Chinese paper fan; on the other arm one perceives the end of a cane or a stick with a Manheim golden apple, with a hair cord ending in tassels.

Shoes à la d'Artois with large square buckles, covering the coup-de-pied entirely.

* lapels
 ** possibly relating to a backgammon-like game


Comments

  1. Scene in the PastOctober 24, 2012 at 12:23 PM

    These are so much fun! I would really like to put these on Pinterest, with a ref back to your translation (and to your Pinterest account). Is that all right with you? Do you have a preferred method/format you would like me to use, or extra info you want me to include in the pin text?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CassidyOctober 24, 2012 at 3:24 PM

      That is totally fine with me! I'd like it if you could mention that it's my translation in the pin somewhere - I wouldn't have thought it necessary but (I blush to say) one time someone reposted a post of mine on Tumblr instead of reblogging it because they thought the text was from the Met, so I suppose credit would be good.

      I actually pinned ALL of the plates from the MFA to Pinterest a while ago, and now I'm deleting the pins because I don't need them and they take up so much space ... so tedious, and of course as I go there's the worry that I'll wish I hadn't. But it is all going to be on my blog, so.

      Delete
    2. Scene in the PastOctober 25, 2012 at 9:27 AM

      Thank you! And I'll definitely credit you for the translation. That's what makes these so incredibly useful, not to mention fascinating. And a heck of a lot of work!

      I know what you mean. I spent quite a lot of time recently trying to organize my pins. It was actually nice to clean some things out, and be able to focus on what I'm interested in.

      Delete
    3. Scene in the PastOctober 31, 2012 at 10:14 AM

      FYI, here's the board I have set up. What do you think of the text?
      http://pinterest.com/SceneInThePast/1750-1799-georgian-galerie-des-modes-translated/

      Delete
  2. HeidiOctober 24, 2012 at 2:21 PM

    Now I'm very curious about how many women were actually exposing their breasts on a daily basis!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CassidyOctober 24, 2012 at 3:25 PM

      I know, right? So many of these fashion plates ... I honestly can't tell if it's some kind of "different standards" thing or if possibly the publishers were trying to attract multiple audiences.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pride and Prejudice 1995: The Little Things

-
Image
I did threaten to write about the Ehle/Firth Pride and Prejudice , and since I'm in a writing mood without a topic I decided to make good. Regency adaptations tend to go for an overall accurate look, interpreting age and income within the confines of realistic silhouettes and colors, and so they avoid the scrutiny and reputation that a more obviously artistic and unrealistic production garners. But just as this version of P&P  is not entirely faithful in every respect (e.g. the added Darcy-perspective scenes, the actors nearly all being significantly older than their characters - perhaps the most egregious example being Julia Sawalha in her late twenties playing teenage Lydia), Dinah Hill's costuming is not entirely accurate - mainly in ways that make the period more appealing to modern tastes. The exact date when the story is set is never given; generally, the movie's taken to be set in 1813, when the book was published. I'm not going to go into the full story of...
Read more

A Difficult History: Corsetry and Feminism, Part One

-
Image
Recently, I began following a couple of Tumblr blogs focusing on waist training and daily corset wear. Daily wear is not for me, waist training even less so, but I find it an interesting practice. It is also a controversial one. For example, a recent Huffington Post article, " Corset Queen Penny Brown Loves Getting 'Waisted' ," drew comments which were nearly all extremely negative, as do most articles that bring the practice to mainstream attention. Usually, the mental states of the women who waist-train are called into question, and there are numerous references to feminism as incompatible with corsets. The general idea is that the first wave feminists of the late 19th and early 20th century would be horrified by women today wearing them, and that their assumed reaction is an objective statement on the practice. My feeling is that the subject is complex, and cannot be simply declared feminist or unfeminist. There are far more factors than the average internet comm...
Read more

Pattern Time: 1860s Chemise

-
Image
For my 150th post ( \o/ ), a quick little pattern someone might find useful. When I was working my way through a box a few weeks ago, I came across a chemise that didn't quite want to lay flat.  I took a closer look at it to figure out why, and noticed that it had a unique construction with the sleeves cut in one with the body and gussets inserted in the neckline.  I did a really quick sketch of the cutting layout and measured the important bits, so that when I got home I could draw it up in proportion on graph paper. (nb. I messed up. I've been noticing it for a while, but didn't want to point it out from shame, but I accidentally gave the neckline length as it is when gathered - the horizontal cut should be much longer, to within about four inches of the side seam. Please correct for this when making your own version.)
Read more