Edith, Lady Playfair

Creator:
Sargent, John Singer, 1856-1925
Published/Created:
1884
Physical Description:
152.08 x 98.42 cm
Date Depicted:
1975
1850 AD - 1899 AD
Materials:
oil on canvas
Notes:
An evening bodice of the 1880s is less rounded. Fabric drapes smoothly over the corset. The armhole is in a normal position. In this example the sleeves end just above the elbow. Dress necklines most often are low and square. The choker or dog collar, pro
Abstract:
From the 1860s, fashion is decreed in Paris. The House of Worth is the first in a long line of couture houses which dictate the styles. There are three distinct silhouettes: the low bustle, the mermaid, and the high bustle. Popular in the late '60s and early '70s, the low-bustle silhouette is first achieved by starched ruffles or a small pad. Gradually the low bustle develops into a cage, which is shaped like a horseshoe. The drapery of the skirt gives it an apron-like appearance in front; in back, cascades of fabric fall into a train. The mermaid silhouette, fashionable in the late '70s and early '80s, removes all foundations except a long corset. Fabric is fitted tightly to the knees, then flares out into a train. The skirt drapery has a wrapped appearance almost like swaddling clothes. A high bustle is fashionable for the balance of the period. It is created by a hoop arrangement which juts out sharply from the waist in back. The bodice is long waisted and trim.
Topics:
Costume -- United States -- History -- (LC)
Painting -- United States -- 19th century -- (YVRC)
Period/Style:
Bustle
Culture:
American
Accession Number:
4392-169
Genre:
costume (mode of fashion) (AAT)
paintings (AAT)
Format:
Image
Content Type:
Clothing & Accessories
Paintings & Drawings
Rights:
The use of this image may be subject to the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) or to site license or other rights management terms and conditions. The person using the image is liable for any infringement.
Access Restrictions:
Yale Community Only
Source Creator:
Button, Jeanne and Sbarge, Stephen
Source Title:
History of Costume, In Slides, Notes and Commentaries: Volume 5
Source Created:
New York, NY
Theatre Arts Slide Presentations
1975
Call Number:
GT513 +B87 5 (LC)
Orbis Barcode:
39002051938455
Yale Collection:
Visual Resources Collection
Digital Collection:
Visual Resources Collection
Original Repository:
Boston, MA: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
OID:
10597927
PID:
digcoll:1856128