fcolitan Museum of Art, New York _< > i Made possible by a grant from Merle Norman Cosmetics Text by Paul M. Ettesvold Ajustant Curator, The Costume Institute THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK Published by The ¿Metropolitan Museum ot Art, New York Bradford D. Kelleher, Publisher John P. O'Neill, Editor in Chief Polly Cone, Emily Garlin, Editors Roberta Savage, Designer Carole Lowenstein, Cailigrapher Typeset by Westchester Book Composition Printed by Colorerait Lithographers, Inc. Color photography by Lynton Gardiner, Photograph Studio, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Copyright Ê 1981 bv The Metropolitan Museum oi Art ISBN 0-87099-296-1 ¿Many people have helped gather the art objects together for this exhibition, both from European and ¿\mencan museums and from private collections. A special debt ot gratitude is owed Ingrid Bergman, the Nordiska ¿Museum; ¿Mogens Bencard, the Rosenborg Palace; ¿Madeleine Delpierre, ¿Musée de la ¿Mode et du Costume; Yvonne Deslandres, Union Française des ¿Arts du Costume; Nadine Gase, ¿Musée des ¿Arts Décoratifs; Bianca du Mortier, the Rijksmuseum; Richard Robson, Castle Howard; Ann Coleman, The Brooklyn ¿Museum: Adolph Cavallo, the Philadelphia ¿Museum of Art; Claudia Kidwell, the National ¿Museum of American History. ¿Metropolitan ¿Museum colleagues have been extremely generous with their time and knowledge, particularlv Clare Le Corbeiller, -Alice Zrebiec, Jean ¿Mailev, James Draper, James Parker, Helmut Nickel, Katharine Baetjer, David Kiehl, Carol Cardon, ¿Mark Cooper, and Lynton Gardiner. I am personally very grateful to Lindsay Sourter, my research assistant, who was untiring in her efforts to complete the catalogue entries. Above all, I thank Stella Blum, curator of the Costume Institute, for her constant support and encouragement of this project. P.M.E. On the cover: Brocaded silk ball gown. French, about 1770. The Metropolitan ¿Museum of ¿Art. Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 1961. CI. 61.13.lab Back cover: (T^/Zi''-patterned silk taffetà. Detail ot an afternoon dress. French, about 1770. The Metropolitan ¿Museum of Art. Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 1960. CI 60.40.2ab Above: Brooch pendant of diamonds set in gold. Portuguese, early 18th centurv. The ¿Metropolitan ¿Museum of ¿\rt. Gift ot Marguerite\McBey, 1980. 1980.3-43.9 Right: Satin-striped silk faille evening gown spot brocaded with flowers and leaves. English, 1770. The ¿Metropolitan ¿Museum of Art. Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 1962. CI 62.29. lab Contento Foreword Philippe de Montebello 4 Foreword Stella. Blum 4 Introduction Diana Vreeland 5 The Eighteenth-Century Woman 6 Checklist 20 Lenders to the exhibition 62 Staff of the Costume Institute 62 Exhibition staff 63 Volunteers for the installation 64 Volunteers for restoration 64 Fore ivo re) Fore ivo re) The eighteenth century before the outbreak of the French The eighteenth-century woman — what made her unique Revolution was a time marked by extravagance and and how does she differ from women ot other times? splendor in the lives ot the elite. It was also an era of great Women have always been aware of the power of change — a time during which science and economic theory their femininity, but never has womanly wile been applied flourished along with the currents of radical thought that with such grace, subtlety, and ultimate success as it was were to bring down the monarchy. It is a paradox that the during the eighteenth century. With her hips expanded by century was profoundly feminine in its character. Women panniers, waist made small by corsets, and breasts pushed were involved in all aspects ot the arts, politics, and high above a low décolletage, the eighteenth-century intellectual life. For women ot the upper class, fashion was woman appeared supremely feminine, submissive, a marter ot primary concern, and it is, therefore, through dependent, defenseless. She was, however, a torce cloaked fashion that one learns so much about daily lite during the in silks, ruffles, tringes, artificial flowers, and laces. ancien rèo ime. Beyond herself, the woman of the eighteenth centurv The ¿Metropolitan ¿Museum has been collecting went on to spin a web that included her surroundings. Bv French costumes and accessories since the turn ot the degrees, she softened and shaped her environment. She century and has one ot the most comprehensive collections made her apartments, salons, and boudoirs, and their in the world. It is, then, no surprise that the current furnishings an extension ot herself — scaled to her size and exhibition, The Eighteenth-Century Woman, is a decorated to her taste. So persuasive was the charm and remarkable selection ot riches culled trom the Costume grace ot the atmosphere she created that men became Institute's vast holdings and augmented with paintings, willing complements to her in appearance, manners, and sculpture, other costumes, and decorative arts from other movements. On easy terms with men, the eighteenth- departments and collections. In view ot Diana Yreeland's century woman won their respect and through artful long career in fashion, it is most appropriate that she maneuvers and calculated coquetries became a profound should select eighteenth-century costume as the theme ot influence on the politics, economics, and aesthetics of her her tenth consecutive exhibition at the -Museum. The era. eighteenth century was, ot course, the era during which In our exhibition, the beautiful costumes of opulent women surpassed men in the richness ot their dress. ¿Mrs. brocades, luxurious satins, and delicate taffetas, along with Vreeland, as special consultant to the Costume Institute, their exquisite trimmings, help to provide us with an has brought her own sense ot style and her highly insight into the silken strategy with which remarkable developed eye to bear in the new exhibition, and she eighteenth-century women molded their centurv in their presents the eighteenth century as it was — intimate, own image. intriguing, and splendid. Mrs. Vreeland was aided in this endeavor by Stella Blum Stephen Jamail, her special assistant, and by designers L tirator Jeffrey Daly and Maureen Healy. Paul Ettesvold, assistant The Costume Institute curator in the Costume Institute, performed a crucial role as coordinator ot the exhibition and principal author of this publication. Stella Blum, curator ot the Costume Institute, was deeply involved in every aspect ot the exhibition and in all the careful preparations that surrounded it. Elizabeth Lawrence, master restorer, accomplished with her usual finesse the task ot recreating the original silhouette ot all the eighteenth-century costumes in the ¿Museum's collection. Philippe de Montehello Director The Metropolitan Muoeuin ot Art Introduction The fortunate few of the eighteenth century dreamed and Lady ¿Mary Wort ley ¿Montagu, who journeyed into lived and danced in one ot history s most glorious periods. remote parts ot ¿\sia and went twice around the world \Ye are, ot course, talking ot the survivors — who are the alone. only interesting people ot any era. The marquise — the beloved Pompadour — who was The century burst like a rose and spent itself painted wearing gowns ot café-au-lait-colored silk and lavishly, blowing its vitality in a strong and beautiful wav surrounded bv flowers, or in Turkish pants while planning all over the Western world. It was a century of quality, and directing more palaces and gardens and lovely rooms artistry, precision, and scholarship. Light, opportunity, and filled with exquisite Sèvres porcelains. exultation were everywhere. The architecture, the The grand and dignified Georgiana, Duchess of porcelains, the gardens were sublime; every teacup and Devonshire, presented to us by Gainsborough walking even- flower was very special. The colors were clear and through her vast estates. clean — exquisite greens, porcelain pinks, and the Emma Hamilton, who, while living in Naples, drew wonderful blue that France has always been famous for. all men and women to her feet by her incredible beauty- Our own concepts of architecture and decoration and her amazing postures and poses, through which she were established in the eighteenth century. The interiors, became a living work ot art. the arrangements of the furniture, and the furniture itself The ¿Marquise du Châtelet — beautiful, erudite — who were really all the tirst bloom of the wav we live todav, read and wrote both Latin and Greek and was mistress of though we live much less lavishly. The comfort with which the beloved Voltaire. They say when she visited the king we live, the way a house is organized, the living in it, and she pointed her nipples with two large rubies — much to the care ot it were all creations of those days. Do vou her sovereign's delight. realize what a house was before the eighteenth centun'? It ¿\nd all the while, Catherine, empress ot all the was huge — enormous and dark — with no halls. You went Russias, was buying entire libraries and great collections of from room to room to get to a room and suffered drafts art — creating an empire for the land she adopted with and cold. such grace and passion. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries women These women lived in a world ot promise, optimism, definitely had power — if those around them were powerful and possibility. They had their dreams — as all women of and rich. But in the eighteenth century, women often all times have had — but they dreamed ot a world of found their way alone and with greater ease, as their talent independence and privilege, and proceeded to create it was recognized and needed. They wrote books; they themselves. administered huge estates; they ran small businesses; thev created salons where intellect and revolution found a place Diana Vree la ná tor expression; they ran convents, which were small Special Consultant worlds where women could live in great protection; and, The Costume Institute of course, some women ruled great nations. Women lived in towns and cities with new privileges.