18th century court costume and Marie-Antoinette
I saw the Court Pomp and Royal Ceremony exhibition at Versailles on its closing day last June and would have hated to miss it. My expectations were very high, and yet I could not help being somewhat disappointed, not by the quality of the objects on display, which were magnificent, but by their scarcity. I should have known better, of course: how many 18th century court costumes could have survived till the 21st century?
Interestingly, the few that did have been preserved in the royal collections of northern Europe, for instance the coronation gown (below) of Queen Sofia Magdelena of Sweden. It was made in Paris of silver cloth, and consists, like all French court gowns, in three separate pieces: bodice, skirt and train. Indeed in the course of the 18th century all European courts had adopted the Versailles court costume. Note the width of the panniers: 3 meters (12 feet!) The depth is no more than 2 feet, which gives the gown the shape of a very elongated oval.
The back view of the same gown gives an idea of the length of the train:
The shape of the 18th century court costume, for men and women, originated at Versailles during the last decades of the reign of Louis XIV, and remained unchanged until the Revolution. It does not mean that court attire was immune to the dictates of fashion: fabrics, colors, ribbons and other decorative elements varied over time. But the cut of the garments was immutable.
Court costume was highly codified. Wearing a court gown was a privilege reserved for the Queen, the princesses of the royal blood and "presented" ladies. I have written prior posts on the preparations of dressing for Court (here) and the ritual of the presentation to the Queen (here.) Wearing a court gown was mandatory for all ladies entitled to it, even for the Queen herself, on every formal occasion. The only acceptable excuse was an advanced pregnancy, obviously incompatible with the close-fitting shape of the bodice and the underlying grand corps (a special corset) that covered the entire abdomen.
Marie-Antoinette once apologized to the Venetian ambassador, who had come to Versailles to present his letters of accreditation, for not wearing a court gown on account of her pregnancy. If she had not done so, her wearing "regular" clothes on such an occasion would have been construed as a grave slight, and created a diplomatic incident. Court dress was no simple fashion matter.
The male court costume may have been more comfortable, but it was no less elaborate than its female counterpart. The King, princes of the royal blood and courtiers wore a three-part costume (breeches, waistcoat, coat) of embroidered fabrics, enriched with diamond buttons, decorations and trim.
See for exemple the wedding clothes (left) of the Crown Prince of Sweden, future King Gustaf III: gold cloth embroidered in gold, blue and red thread.
The Swedish Ambassador to France, Count Creutz, had been entrusted with checking the latest fashions and ordering the best money could buy in Paris. The Ambassador gravely reported to Stockholm that velvet, after being all the rage the previous spring, was now hopelessly passé. In any case, judging by the quality of the result, Count Creutz acquitted himself very well of his delicate mission.
Indeed for State occasions, European sovereigns ordered all ceremonial clothes from France. Such attire was so ruinous that King Frederic III of Denmark had to levy a special tax, known as the "Princesses' Tax" to pay for his daughters' Parisian wedding clothes.
One of the most beautiful pieces on display at Versailles was this shimmering wedding dress (below) of Edwige Elisabeth Charlotte, Princess of Holstein-Gottorp, who married into the Swedish royal family.
The fineness of the silver lace on silver cloth creates a garment of ethereal beauty in spite of its bulk. Note the extreme thinness of the waist. The sleeves, which would have been made of rows of matching lace, are unfortunately missing. I can only guess they were reused by another Swedish princess.
This makes the comparison between these 18th century court gowns, in their pristine, unadulterated condition, with the famous "Marie-Antoinette" dress from the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto (below) all the more striking. Here the skirt was altered to fit a round 19th century crinoline, and the plain ivory silk of the bodice does not match the exquisite embroidery work of the skirt and train. It should be noted that the Toronto gown was simply presented as "attributed to Rose Bertin" without any mention of prior ownership by Marie-Antoinette. I can only assume that such claim was not established to the satisfaction of the show's curators.
After visiting the show, I purchased the (very highly recommended) Connaissance des Arts special issue dedicated to it, and read therein an interview of Pascale Gorguet Ballesteros, Chief Curator of the Musee Galliera, and co-curator of the exhibition.
When asked whether Marie-Antoinette's taste in fashions was copied at Court and beyond, Ms. Gorguet Ballesteros explained that the Queen was the the "number one fashion model" in France and greatly contributed to the success of the fashions she liked. But Marie-Antoinette did not "invent" any distinct style of dress. She launched nothing, she simply adopted some of the fashions available at the time.
Especially as a young woman, the Queen loved clothes, and other ladies tended to follow her taste. It was the Duchesse d'Orléans, then Duchesse de Chartres, who introduced her to the famous dressmaker Rose Bertin in 1774, as, incidentally, she also introduced her to Madame Vigée-Lebrun. "Marie-Antoinette," says Ms. Gorguet Ballesteros, "sits at the border of two worlds, the sclerotic world of the Court and the world of fashion, where one is led to believe that one is going to express one's individuality. But she has the misfortune of being of being the Queen." When she sat for Madame Vigée-Lebrun "en gaulle," in a simple white muslin dress, she created a scandal.
Marie-Antoinette was never forgiven for abandoning the traditional court costume in what may now be the most famous of her portraits.
Interestingly, the few that did have been preserved in the royal collections of northern Europe, for instance the coronation gown (below) of Queen Sofia Magdelena of Sweden. It was made in Paris of silver cloth, and consists, like all French court gowns, in three separate pieces: bodice, skirt and train. Indeed in the course of the 18th century all European courts had adopted the Versailles court costume. Note the width of the panniers: 3 meters (12 feet!) The depth is no more than 2 feet, which gives the gown the shape of a very elongated oval.
The back view of the same gown gives an idea of the length of the train:
The shape of the 18th century court costume, for men and women, originated at Versailles during the last decades of the reign of Louis XIV, and remained unchanged until the Revolution. It does not mean that court attire was immune to the dictates of fashion: fabrics, colors, ribbons and other decorative elements varied over time. But the cut of the garments was immutable.
Court costume was highly codified. Wearing a court gown was a privilege reserved for the Queen, the princesses of the royal blood and "presented" ladies. I have written prior posts on the preparations of dressing for Court (here) and the ritual of the presentation to the Queen (here.) Wearing a court gown was mandatory for all ladies entitled to it, even for the Queen herself, on every formal occasion. The only acceptable excuse was an advanced pregnancy, obviously incompatible with the close-fitting shape of the bodice and the underlying grand corps (a special corset) that covered the entire abdomen.
Marie-Antoinette once apologized to the Venetian ambassador, who had come to Versailles to present his letters of accreditation, for not wearing a court gown on account of her pregnancy. If she had not done so, her wearing "regular" clothes on such an occasion would have been construed as a grave slight, and created a diplomatic incident. Court dress was no simple fashion matter.
The Swedish Ambassador to France, Count Creutz, had been entrusted with checking the latest fashions and ordering the best money could buy in Paris. The Ambassador gravely reported to Stockholm that velvet, after being all the rage the previous spring, was now hopelessly passé. In any case, judging by the quality of the result, Count Creutz acquitted himself very well of his delicate mission.
Indeed for State occasions, European sovereigns ordered all ceremonial clothes from France. Such attire was so ruinous that King Frederic III of Denmark had to levy a special tax, known as the "Princesses' Tax" to pay for his daughters' Parisian wedding clothes.
One of the most beautiful pieces on display at Versailles was this shimmering wedding dress (below) of Edwige Elisabeth Charlotte, Princess of Holstein-Gottorp, who married into the Swedish royal family.
The fineness of the silver lace on silver cloth creates a garment of ethereal beauty in spite of its bulk. Note the extreme thinness of the waist. The sleeves, which would have been made of rows of matching lace, are unfortunately missing. I can only guess they were reused by another Swedish princess.
This makes the comparison between these 18th century court gowns, in their pristine, unadulterated condition, with the famous "Marie-Antoinette" dress from the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto (below) all the more striking. Here the skirt was altered to fit a round 19th century crinoline, and the plain ivory silk of the bodice does not match the exquisite embroidery work of the skirt and train. It should be noted that the Toronto gown was simply presented as "attributed to Rose Bertin" without any mention of prior ownership by Marie-Antoinette. I can only assume that such claim was not established to the satisfaction of the show's curators.
When asked whether Marie-Antoinette's taste in fashions was copied at Court and beyond, Ms. Gorguet Ballesteros explained that the Queen was the the "number one fashion model" in France and greatly contributed to the success of the fashions she liked. But Marie-Antoinette did not "invent" any distinct style of dress. She launched nothing, she simply adopted some of the fashions available at the time.
Especially as a young woman, the Queen loved clothes, and other ladies tended to follow her taste. It was the Duchesse d'Orléans, then Duchesse de Chartres, who introduced her to the famous dressmaker Rose Bertin in 1774, as, incidentally, she also introduced her to Madame Vigée-Lebrun. "Marie-Antoinette," says Ms. Gorguet Ballesteros, "sits at the border of two worlds, the sclerotic world of the Court and the world of fashion, where one is led to believe that one is going to express one's individuality. But she has the misfortune of being of being the Queen." When she sat for Madame Vigée-Lebrun "en gaulle," in a simple white muslin dress, she created a scandal.
Marie-Antoinette was never forgiven for abandoning the traditional court costume in what may now be the most famous of her portraits.
Posted by Catherine Delors at 9/8/2009 12:05 AM 
Categories: 18th century life,fashion,Court Pomp and Royal Ceremony,Rose Bertin,Versailles,exhibition,Marie Antoinette
Tags: Marie Antoinette 18th century life fashion Court Pomp and Royal Ceremony exhibition Rose Bertin Versailles
Categories: 18th century life,fashion,Court Pomp and Royal Ceremony,Rose Bertin,Versailles,exhibition,Marie Antoinette
Tags: Marie Antoinette 18th century life fashion Court Pomp and Royal Ceremony exhibition Rose Bertin Versailles
What I have found to be an interesting item is that the embrodery on the clothes were made before the cloth was cut. After the embrodery was completed the pattern was cut from the cloth. It was very labour intensive. There are several types of stiches in each piece, which would provide strength or allow a piece to be taken apart during a fitting or correct it more easily.
These is a beautiful exhibit.
may I link?
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I didn't know about the embroidery coming first. That left very little room for error, didn't it?
Of course you are always welcome to link, Richard!
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what a beautiful dress. of course being the female version of Woody Allen, i would be falling all over myself and the ton would be laughing themselves to a stomachache.
anyway thank you so much for this picture. it reminds me to be grateful for 21st century female clothes and being able to walk through a doorway and not knock into it with my dress besides i am not tall enough to even look good in a gown like that. not to mention i still need to lose weight
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Or weight change!
here is a book from my colection that I purchased at Williamsburg...
Eighteenth Century Clothing At Williamsburg
While this tome features clothes from the middle to late 18th century in Virginia, many of the collections there were purchased from Europe. Construction techniques differed little during that period.
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Penny - Apparently wearing a court gown, though a great and rare honor, was not considered very comfortable by 18th century ladies. As soon as they were away from Versailles, they hastened to wear very different attire.
Richard - This sounds most interesting. Do you have the reference for this book?
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Sure...
http://www.amazon.com/Eighteenth-Century-Clothing-Williamsburg-Decorative-Arts/dp/0879351098
Since I live only about two hours away I am there alot.
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Since my family reenact this period, albiet a bit earlier 1755-63, to be authentic we have studied that periods clothes. Unlike the CW, 18th century organizations to not allow inauthentic or anachronistic items. Reenactors know what is correct and what is not. It is a blessing and a curse. What is correct for the revolutionalry period is not necessarily correct for the French and Indian War.
It is very hard to view a period film because an anachonism is spotted immediately...
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Thanks, Richard, I will check it out!
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wow stunning dresses! Thanks for posting. I wish I could have gone to the show.
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Those dresses are stunning. After seeing these, I can now understand why Marie Antoinette caused such a scandal when she chose to be painted in a simple muslin dress. My modern eyes could only see that it was a pretty dress. No wonder people complained she was painted in her chemise - it must have looked like an undergarment next to these court gowns!
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Hello, I love this post. You have the most beautiful and perfect site here. Thank you so much for sharing it ... & best wishes
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What a lovely blog your write! I have been reading your articles for almost...¡2 hours! I have really enjoyed them very much, thank you so much for sharing them with us. Best regards from Spain.
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Absolutely stunning! I'm so happy I found this blog. It's so wonderfully full of information
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As you mention with regard to count Creutz, the rapidity of changing fashions during the period very much impressed me. I'm writing an historical mystery about Jefferson in1786 and the fashions for 1780 were not the fashions for '86. If I may, I might mention my website that offers some information and images having to do with Jefferson's stay in Paris as Minister Plenipotentiary from America. It is at www.jeffersoninparis.com
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Oh WOW, this is a great post & you have the most gorgeous site here. I had to stop by to leave this comment for you – and to say hello of course ! Your posts are creative and original and you have interesting pictures. It's all perfect ! Thank you for sharing your site and best wishes....
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I have seen the dress of Sofia Magdelena many times since it is dislayed in one of my favourite museums here in Sweden usually. It is so beautyful, and the waist is so thin you can't even imagine somebody wearing it
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Thanks to all for this wonderful response to this post!
True, Christina, one needs to see Marie-Antoinette's portrait en gaulle next to these gowns to understand why the scandal was so great.
Harlan, I look forward to learning more about your book re: Jefferson in Paris. I need to post a review of The Hemingses of Monticello, which I read with great pleasure.
Donna Sandra, you are lucky! This was the first time I saw these amazing gowns. I love the pictures on your blog, and need to add you to my blogroll.
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The cloth and embroidery are beyond description! Very, very beautiful.
But the shape of the dresses with those 12-foot panniers is quite dreadful! I don't know why anyone would invent such a massive undergarment. The more rounded, smaller crinoline is deffinately much more beautiful and feminine.
Was there some kind of historical reason behind 12-foot panniers? Some kind of logical explaination for their use?
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Ah Michelle, it's all a question of personal taste. I, for one, prefer ovals paniers to round crinolines. But in general I find oval shapes more elegant than round ones. Within crinolines, it think the 1860s-1870s tournures, also oval, were more elegant.
As for the historical reason behind the 12 foot width, I really can't think of any. It just happened to be the dominant fashion in the early 18th century, during the waning years of the reign of Louis XIV. As though the death of the Sun King froze Court fashions forever (or least until the French monarchy lasted.)
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