Portrait Analysis History of Costume and Fashion

Portrait Analysis History of Costume and Fashion Name Class Information Date Part A Image of the Portrait Figure 1: Nathaniel Dance-Holland, Portrait of Maria Walpole, Duchess of Gloucester; English, c. 1766-1769. Oil on canvas. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA Interesting information about the artist Nathaniel Dance-Holland (1735–1811) was one of the best English painters, and his influence was reflected in the outstanding portraits of prominent figures during that period, which made him referred to as the founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts. One of the main reasons he was outstandingly recognized was that he could refine England's aristocracy elegance when he included Maria Walpole, the Duchess of Gloucester, in Fig. 1.[Dickenson, Victoria. "Lady Gwillim and the birds of Madras." Notes and Records 77, no. 3 (2023): 647-670.] Maria Walpole (1736-1807) was the influential figure in the portrait. She was born to Sir Edward Walpole and Married Prince William Henry, a Duke of Gloucester, and she was admired for her status and refined beauty. This portrait is outstanding because it reflects her elegant fashions and standing within that period.[Lewis, Wilmarth Sheldon. Horace Walpole. Vol. 9. Princeton University Press, 2023.] Undergarments that could be used in the Eighteenth Century English Aristocracy It is critical to understand the undergarments that the Duchess could have used since they could help create a silhouette representing English fashion between the mid-to-late eighteenth century. She could likely have used a chemise as her basic underlayer in her attire since it could have protected the other outer garments from sweat and body oils. She could have also worn a pair of stays, the modern corset. People designed stays to offer an individual posture and shape the torso to a conical form, which gave them a more fashionable shape.[The Quintessential Clothes Pen. “18th Century Dress Layers and Steps.” 18th Century Dress Layers and Steps, September 28, 2012. https://www.mariegossip.com/2015/02/18th-century-dress-layers-and-steps.html.] [The MET. “Corset: British.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2024. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/92334.] Figure 2: Corset British ca early 18th century, The MET Museum.[The MET. “Corset: British.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2024. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/92334.] There is also a high likelihood that Maria could have worn panniers. These structured hoops extend her skirt width to emphasize a narrow waist and wide hips. During the 1760s, there was already a shift to smaller panniers than the grand, a shift from the earlier eighteenth century, when the panniers were wider, showing a change in styles. These undergarments collaborated to provide a balanced, regal silhouette that showed her rank and the ornate fashion during this time.[McNamara, Kimberlei. “Panniers.” Fashion History Timeline, August 13, 2018. https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/panniers/.] The Ensemble and Accessories It is critical to analyze the ensemble and accessories in this portrait. This portrait shows Maria Walpole dressed in an elegant robe à la française. One sign that this is a robe à la française is the funnel-shaped bust feeding into a wide rectangular shape. This was one of the most popular gown styles of this type. It had loose back pleats that lowered from the individual's shoulder to their hem. The main reason for this style was to set up a sophisticated silhouette. Moreover, the gown also had elbow-length sleeves with delicate lace engageantes or sleeve ruffles, which helped to add air to the ensemble.[De La Haye, Amy. Ravishing: The Rose in Fashion. Yale University Press, 2020.] [The MET. “Robe à La Française: French.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2024. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/159485.] [MSC. “Sleeve Ruffles in the 18th Century.” Engageantes, Sleeve Ruffles | 18th Century Notebook, January 5, 2024. http://www.larsdatter.com/18c/engageantes.html.] Maria has also worn a bracelet on her hand. The bracelet was carefully crafted from the deceased person's human hair and was mainly used for mourning rituals to memorialize a recently deceased person. Coming from a royal family, she also wore a tiara. Women mainly used tiaras as symbols of power, divinity, and status. They were crafted from precious metals such as gold and adorned with precious stones.[Wikimedia Commons. "File: Maria Walpole, Duchess of Gloucester, by Nathaniel Dance Holland.jpg." Wikimedia Commons, 2023. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maria_Walpole,_Duchess_of_Gloucester,_by_Nathaniel_Dance_Holland.jpg.] [Rincon, Laura Ochoa. “Bracelets Woven of Hair Were Romantic Memorials, Created by Women Artists in 18th-Century Britain.” NOLA.com, October 31, 2022. https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/arts/bracelets-woven-of-hair-were-romantic-memorials-cr...