All posts tagged: Renoir

Sunshine, spring flowers, and Jeanne Samary

My friend Theresa, who modelled in Pompeii to Paris, is in town, and she asked me if we could please, please, pretty please do a photoshoot while she is here. And could she wear the Jeanne Samary dress? And since she asked so nicely, and since it is Theresa, and since she is gorgeous, of course I said yes! Unfortunately we both had scheduling issues, so I wasn’t able to arrange a full photoshoot with a decent (e.g. a lot better than me) photographer. So we decided to just keep it really low key. We dolled each other up and ran around in the Botanical Gardens with my camera on a Friday afternoon and hoped we got something good. The photos themselves were a bit tricky as the light was really difficult, but the afternoon itself was a blast; the perfect way to spend a day with a good friend. These are my favourites: And the very best one of all:

Impressions of undergarments

Published by The Dreamstress

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. 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. I wonder if ‘Before the Mirror’ shows the same model, and the same corset, as Nana? It’s certainly a possibility. I love how this one echoes the garter tying in Boucher’s La Toilette De Witte’s painting does a good job of showing an underbust corset, and the way the bust sits above it. Degas work is a great illustration of how you put on a corset. The model must have had someone to help her with …

Madame Ornata as Aline

Published by The Dreamstress

For our last photoshoot Madame Ornata borrowed my ‘By the Seashore’ ensemble and went as Aline. It’s fun to see the ensemble on someone else, and it fits Madame O better than I because the skirt is a bit short on me. And she got to try out the new bonnet!