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This fragile-looking gown is held by the Musée des Arts de la Mode, Paris (51.9.1). The description in The Age of Napoleon: Costume from Revolution to Empire, 1789-1815, edited by Katell le Bourhis et al. (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1989) reads: "Directoire-era dress of embroidered muslin. French, 1795 .... This high- waisted dress, with its extra-long mittt sleeves, is an early example of the style favored by Les Merveilleuses" (62). The dress here is so sheer one can see the lines of the underwear on the mannequin quite clearly. How much of this sheerness is due to age is not clear, but likely not all. The embroidery is of flowers. The one spray of flowers in the center of the gown seems oddly placed. I wonder if it might be covering some stain! In my opinion, the gown would be more elegant if the embroidery on the sleeves and outside the two beautiful bands about the hem was not there. |
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