The Mantua dress
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This enormous, dazzling dress must have turned a lot of heads when it entered the English courtroom. And not only by its size, it is almost an abstract work of art in itself!
But looking at this dress also brings up a lot of practical questions: How did the women wearing this sit down on a chair? How did they enter a doorway or how did they fit into a riding a carriage? But this Mantua dress was not made to be practical; it was used for maximum display of wealth and art. And what a maximum display it gets!
This enormous dress is called a Mantua, possibly derived form the French word ‘Manteau’, meaning coat, referring to the way bodice is shaped. We are looking at the back of the dress and from this point of view you can see of how this colossal dress is build up with its train and giant petticoat. The petticoats are held up with a pannier, a construction of rope, willow and / or whalebone.
This style of dress was high fashion in the early 18th century by the upper classes, but in the 1750’s it went out of style and was only worn at court. To make up for its conservative cut, this kind of court dresses were always made from the most fashionable as well as expensive fabrics and trimmings. This dress in front of you for example is made of silk and embroidered with gold.
Due to the French revolution and it’s ideas about equality and freedom, this style would disappear rapidly in the next 50 years and dress forms changed dramatically as you will see and hear of in the next stop.
But looking at this dress also brings up a lot of practical questions: How did the women wearing this sit down on a chair? How did they enter a doorway or how did they fit into a riding a carriage? But this Mantua dress was not made to be practical; it was used for maximum display of wealth and art. And what a maximum display it gets!
This enormous dress is called a Mantua, possibly derived form the French word ‘Manteau’, meaning coat, referring to the way bodice is shaped. We are looking at the back of the dress and from this point of view you can see of how this colossal dress is build up with its train and giant petticoat. The petticoats are held up with a pannier, a construction of rope, willow and / or whalebone.
This style of dress was high fashion in the early 18th century by the upper classes, but in the 1750’s it went out of style and was only worn at court. To make up for its conservative cut, this kind of court dresses were always made from the most fashionable as well as expensive fabrics and trimmings. This dress in front of you for example is made of silk and embroidered with gold.
Due to the French revolution and it’s ideas about equality and freedom, this style would disappear rapidly in the next 50 years and dress forms changed dramatically as you will see and hear of in the next stop.
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