Evening dress
- Place of origin:
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
Charles Frederick Worth, born 1825 - died 1895 (possibly, designer)
- Materials and Techniques:
Satin, machine-embroidered lace and tulle, embroidered with pastes, boned bodice, lined with silk taffeta
- Credit Line:
Given by Mrs Soame Jenyns
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
- Image unavailable
This is a fine example of the fin-de-siècle ball gown. It belonged to Miss Anne Thomson of Philadelphia, daughter of Frank Thomson, an early collector of Impressionist paintings.
The dress is embellished with lace motifs in a pattern of carnations and embroidered with pastes (imitation gemstones). Deep swags of pink roses are draped over the upper arms, and pink tulle is arranged in bows on the shoulder and as trimming on the hem of the skirt. Similar dresses with bows on the shoulder and floral trimmings are illustrated in The Queen for 1897.
The dress is reminiscent of designs by the couturier Charles Frederick Worth. Although Worth favoured tulle and flowers, this model does not appear in the guard books of his designs.
Physical description
Evening dress of pink satin, consisting of matching bodice and skirt, trimmed with machine embroidered lace motifs, pastes, artificial pink roses and ruches of gathered tulle.
[Bodice] The bodice has a low, square neckline, tulle and flower shoulder straps and a floral design applied to the front. The panel at the centre back is veiled in gathered tulle and a ruche of the same tulle trims the slightly pointed waist.
The lining is of matching silk, boned at the seams, and fastens with laces at the centre back. The centre back panel is hooked into place and there are hooks in the lower border. The waist band is printed with a gilt, cursive signature with a number written in ink on the reverse.
[Skirt] The skirt matches the bodice. A motif, similar to that on the bodice, is applied at the hip and the hem is trimmed with festoons of the ground material. There are remains of a tulle flounce at the hem. The skirt is straight cut and fitted to the hips in front and the double inverted pleats at the centre back flow into the slightly flared train.
It is lined with matching silk taffeta with ribbons to adjust the train's fullness. The lining of the train has a gathered, scalloped pink facing frill.
The skirt fastens at the centre back with brass metal hooks and eyes. There are tape loops at the waist for hanging.
Place of Origin
Paris, France (made)
Date
ca. 1897 (designed)
Artist/maker
Charles Frederick Worth, born 1825 - died 1895 (possibly, designer)
Materials and Techniques
Satin, machine-embroidered lace and tulle, embroidered with pastes, boned bodice, lined with silk taffeta
Marks and inscriptions
'WORTH PARIS'
'97888'
Descriptive line
Evening dress of satin and tulle, possibly designed by Charles Frederick Worth, Paris, ca. 1897
Categories
Embroidery; Fashion; Evening wear; Women's clothes
Collection code
T&D
