Gown
ca. 1800 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
By the end of the 18th century, rigidly tailored garments for both men and women were replaced by styles made for ease and comfort, resulting in the neoclassical style of the 1780s. Inspired in part by the statuary of ancient Greece and Rome, the new fashion was epitomised by light cotton gowns falling around the body in an unstructured way, held around the high waist with a simple sash and accompanied by a soft shawl draped around exposed shoulders. This style was ideal for the Indian imports like Kashmiri shawls and Bengali muslin, as used in this embroidered gown. Championed by such influential figures as Emma Hamilton in England and Madame Récamier in France, the so-called ‘Empire’ style catapulted Indian muslin into the forefront of fashion.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Muslin embroidered with cotton thread |
| Brief description | embroidered muslin, 1800-20, Indian; Bengal for the European market |
| Physical description | 'Empire style' unstructured muslin gown embroidered with cotton thread |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries
GOWN
About 1800
Women’s dress changed dramatically after 1785. The rich fabrics and complicated, formal shapes of the late 18th century gave way to simple, light fabrics that draped easily. These new gowns achieved something of the effect of the simple tunics shown on classical Greek and Roman statues and vases,
Muslin embroidered with cotton thread
Fabric made in India, gown made in England
Given by Miss Frances Vickers
Museum no. 444-1888
(2013) |
| Credit line | Given by Miss Frances Vickers |
| Production | Muslin cloth from India (Bengal) |
| Summary | By the end of the 18th century, rigidly tailored garments for both men and women were replaced by styles made for ease and comfort, resulting in the neoclassical style of the 1780s. Inspired in part by the statuary of ancient Greece and Rome, the new fashion was epitomised by light cotton gowns falling around the body in an unstructured way, held around the high waist with a simple sash and accompanied by a soft shawl draped around exposed shoulders. This style was ideal for the Indian imports like Kashmiri shawls and Bengali muslin, as used in this embroidered gown. Championed by such influential figures as Emma Hamilton in England and Madame Récamier in France, the so-called ‘Empire’ style catapulted Indian muslin into the forefront of fashion. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 444-1888 |
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| Record created | January 13, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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