A Portrait of Fashion

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Costume, portraiture and the presentation of the individual have been intimately linked throughout the history of art. While the face of the person portrayed is often still directly accessible to us, the details and significance of their dress can be less easy to comprehend. Lavishly illustrated throughout with paintings, drawings, photographs and other works of art, this beautiful publication is centred around 190 examples from the National Portrait Gallery's Collection. Through these, the authors explore the purpose and original context of the dress in which the sitter was recorded - the damasks, satins, velvets and furs of Tudor and Stuart magnificence worn by Queen Elizabeth I and Charles I, but also the revolutionary simplicity of the cottons, linens and woollen cloth adopted by Mary Wollstonecraft, John Constable and John Clare. Packed with photographs that provide additional insights into the clothes worn by sitters in their portraits, and complemented by related material including fabric designs and jewellery, this authoritative guide looks in detail at one of the most fascinating aspects of many well-­‐known images of the last 600 years.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

An update of Ribeiro's The Gallery of Fashion (CH, Jun'01, 38-5384), this richly illustrated, readable book explores six centuries of fashion as represented in the portrait images at London's National Portrait Gallery. Rubeiro (Courtauld Institute of Art, UK) and Blackman (Univ. of the Arts, UK) take on the task of conveying the scope and extent of the collection from the perspective that clothing and personal appearance provide a framework for how and why dress is represented in art. The portraits selected encompass British costume--primarily of the middle and upper classes--from the 16th to the 21st centuries. Each chapter begins with a concise essay placing the portraits and the clothing depicted in historical context. Each portrait selected for examination serves as a case study for the fashions of the day. The insightful commentary offers supporting images and photographs of surviving clothing to enhance understanding. Throughout, clothing's meanings and uses in the practice of British identity are revealed. Although there is no bibliography, suggestions for further reading are provided. This compelling resource will appeal to those seeking a social and cultural understanding of dress and appearance through the lens of British portrait painting. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. --Caley Brae Cannon, Brand Library and Art Center