"The other thing I didn't mention about Johanna's nice dress [when we were discussing it at intermission] is that it very closely resembles in color and form that worn by the marquise de Montebello in Winterhalter's grand portrait of the Empress Eugénie and her dames d'honneur. Coincidence? Good decision, however it was arrived at."
So, to illustrate...
Here, again, is Johanna's dress:
And the Winterhalter piece:
The marquise in question is the one in blue-green in the foreground.
And just for fun [and to show off], since I used this same painting in a Valentine's card for Stephen last year, here's me in the dress:
Funny! Too bad PCS hasn't posted a front view of their costume. In reality the color is very similar, and the bodice is more similar than apparent, though the under-sleeves are longer. The gown in the painting has more petticoats, certainly - though it was painted in 1854-5, the cage crinoline doesn't appear to be present - and has a nicely scalloped edge. Since the silhouette of PCS' costume is smaller, I'm going to date it a few years earlier than that in the painting. Yes. OK, dress talk is now concluded. : )
ReplyDelete