I’m supposed to be sewing like mad and marking student papers and exams.
But instead, I have a horrid cold.
I want to be here:
In the Hammock, ca 1900, Jan van Beers (Belgian artist, 1852-1927)
Maybe in a more comfortable dress though. That one is gorgeous, but doesn’t look that fun for lounging in.
Anyway, instead of being brilliant and blogging and creating I am mainlining echinacea tea and trying to breathe.
I’ll see you on the other side. Aaaaah-choo!
Impressionism is famous for capturing the mood of scenes, and the nuances of everyday life, so it’s no surprise that many impressionist artists were inspired by the most ordinary, but intimate moments of life: the act of getting dressed.
The most famous Impressionist painting depicting underwear doesn’t show quite such an ordinary scene. Manet’s Nana looks sweet enough, but subtle clues in the painting reveal her identity as a courtesan.
Nana, Edouard Manet, 1877
I love how you see the rounded stomach, and the flesh of her thighs bumping up below the corset. It’s so realistic, despite the glamour of the setting.
Edouard Manet, Before the Mirror, 1876
I wonder if ‘Before the Mirror’ shows the same model, and the same corset, as Nana? It’s certainly a possibility.
Edouard Manet, Woman fastening her garter, 1878-9
I love how this one echoes the garter tying in Boucher’s La Toilette
Femme au Corset Rouge, 1880, Adrien de Witte
De Witte’s painting does a good job of showing an underbust corset, and the way the bust sits above it.
Edgar Degas, Femme debout et vue de face, agrafant son corset, 1883
Degas work is a great illustration of how you put on a corset. The model must have had someone to help her with her shoes, as it’s hard to put them on after a corset!
Edgar Degas, Woman in a Corset, 1883
What a lovely charcoal sketch. But what is the model doing!?!
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Girl in a Blue Corset, 1883-1885
I just love how Renoir sketch of a girl in a corset does such a good job of indicating the boning and stitching of the corset with just a few lines. It’s a great inspiration piece for Dr Sketchy!
My last two images aren’t actually impressionist paintings, but they are such lovely late Victorian paintings of corsets that I couldn’t resist including them.
Woman With Silk Corset, 1891, Mor Than, from the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest
Young woman adjusting her corset, 1893, Pierre Carrier-Belleuse.
Last week’s 1873ish mourning dress did extremely well, coming in at 8.5 out of 10, despite many of you expressing that there was something not quite perfect about it. Of course, you all thought that different things weren’t perfect: fringe, apron, train, belt, waist, asymmetry, symmetry, dags…everyone had their own complaint!
Since this is basically ‘Corset Week’ on the blog (like Shark Week, only with whale teeth, not shark teeth!) I thought I should present a corset heavy (or at least heavily corseted) frock for your consideration.
What about a corset worn on the outside? Pierre Carrier Belleuse painted this intriguing image of a group of woman with the central woman showing off her tightly cinched waist and blue-trimmed blouse.
Pierre Carrier Belleuse, Woman in a blue-trimmed blouse, 1895-1900
The painting documents such an interesting moment: the act of removing a coat, as well as an interesting time in fashion as styles transitioned from the tightly bodiced and high-shouldered 1890s to the drooping pigeon breasts of the 20th century, and from formal, coordinated bodices and skirts to blouses with interchangeable jackets and skirts.
Has our lady done a good job of mixing formality and spontaneity, and of matching her simple black skirt with an ornamented waist cincher, a blouse trimmed with blue satin ribbons, a buff coat and a front heavy black hat? Or is it all too much of a mis-match?
Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10
