Gown
ca. 1920 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This gown belonged to the famous Italian actor Eleonora Duse (1858-1924), noted for her association with the poet and playwright Gabriele d'Annunzio. Duse was a great friend of the designer Mariano Fortuny (1871-1949) and was known for the fact that she used very little make-up in an age where acting demanded dramatic costumes and disguise. Duse was the first woman to appear on the cover of Time magazine in July 1923.
The dress was purchased from Vitaldi Babani, a designer-importer who launched his business in 1895. His shop 'Babani' was situated at 98 Boulevard Haussman. Along with the designer Paul Poiret, Babani was licensed to sell Fortuny designs in Paris. In addition to retailing Fortuny designs, Babani sold Liberty textiles and produced fabrics and garments of his own design that bore the influence of these designers.
The dress was purchased from Vitaldi Babani, a designer-importer who launched his business in 1895. His shop 'Babani' was situated at 98 Boulevard Haussman. Along with the designer Paul Poiret, Babani was licensed to sell Fortuny designs in Paris. In addition to retailing Fortuny designs, Babani sold Liberty textiles and produced fabrics and garments of his own design that bore the influence of these designers.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold stencilled silk crêpe, bound with cord, trimmed with beads |
| Brief description | Gown of silk crêpe, probably designed by Babani, retailed in Paris, ca. 1920 |
| Physical description | Gown of apricot coloured silk crêpe stencilled with gold decoration, bound with black cord and trimmed with Venetian beads. |
| Credit line | Given by Fr. Sebastian Bullough |
| Summary | This gown belonged to the famous Italian actor Eleonora Duse (1858-1924), noted for her association with the poet and playwright Gabriele d'Annunzio. Duse was a great friend of the designer Mariano Fortuny (1871-1949) and was known for the fact that she used very little make-up in an age where acting demanded dramatic costumes and disguise. Duse was the first woman to appear on the cover of Time magazine in July 1923. The dress was purchased from Vitaldi Babani, a designer-importer who launched his business in 1895. His shop 'Babani' was situated at 98 Boulevard Haussman. Along with the designer Paul Poiret, Babani was licensed to sell Fortuny designs in Paris. In addition to retailing Fortuny designs, Babani sold Liberty textiles and produced fabrics and garments of his own design that bore the influence of these designers. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.736-1972 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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