Discovering the 15th Century V-Neck Gown
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Discovering the 15th Century V-Neck Gown The Sexiest Bathrobe You'll Ever Wear Maistresse Mathilde Bourette mathilde@mathildegirlgenius.com Known World Costuming Symposium October, 2009 • • • • • Definition Evolution Style elements Silhouette, layers and plackets Construction Tips Musée Condé MS 340, fol. 207r Definition of V-neck gown • • • • • • • Gown, worn over another dress layer Third Quarter, 15th century Flemish, French, English examples all exist Worn by different classes Basic style had many variations Often trimmed and lined in fur Straight-cut collar Typical V-neck gown characteristics •Several inch wide collar •Wide neck opening sits at point of shoulder •Front opening meets under bust at a wide belt •Fitted sleeves Virgin Surrounded by Female Saints Master of the Legend of St. Lucy Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels Typical characteristics, cont. -Straight-cut front curves naturally around bosom -Very full skirt -Appears to have high cut back -Fur at neckline, wrist, and hem Miniature from Tezeide Barthélemy van Eyck Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Typical characteristics, cont. -Wide necklines -Wide fur hems -V opening extends below belt -Worn with and without belt Book of the Tournament, Français 2692, fol. 70v King René d‘Anjou Bibliothèque Nationale de France Straight-Cut Collar vs. Shaped-Cut Collar Arrow indicates direction of grain Straight-cut collar Shaped-cut collar V-opening on edge of fabric Curve may form naturally around bust V meets below bust Neckline on grain will not stretch V or U shaped opening cut on bias Much like standard fitted dress with variable neckline May have opening cut straight or with curve Neckline cut on bias may give more curve, may stretch c. 1473 Straight-cut collar, meets under bust and falls into full dress Jan de Witte Triptych Bruges Master of 1473 Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels c. 1483 Shaped-cut collar, 90˚ angle at corner, ends of collar abut above belt Stoke Charity Brass Copyright © 2002 Monumental Brass Society (MBS) • • • • • Definition Evolution Style elements Silhouette, layers and plackets Construction Tips Français 27, fol. 28, Enlèvement des Sabines Bibliothèque nationale de France Evolution of the gown through the 15th century • Progression of styles – no hard and fast rules or dates • First quarter: high collar houppelande • Second quarter: collar-less or open collar houppelande • Third quarter: straight-cut collar V-neck gown • Fourth quarter: shaped-cut neckline gown, followed by transitional early Tudor gown Early 15th Century Houppelande -High collar -Wide open sleeves -Pleated and belted -Concurrent with a fitted style with long flap sleeves Cité des Dames, Français 607 Christine de Pisan Bibliothèque Nationale de France c. 1400 Very high, buttoned collar Narrow sleeves Pleated and loose body Wool Merchant's Wife Boutell, Charles. 1849. The monumental brasses of England. London: G. Bell. c. 1410 High-buttoned collar Apparently narrow sleeves Pleated and belted body Brass of Sir John Wylcotes and his wife Boutell, Charles. 1849. The monumental brasses of England. London: G. Bell. c. 1413 Collar starts to fall Voluminous sleeves, closed at the wrist Pleated and belted Brass of John Cressy and his wife Boutell, Charles. 1849. The monumental brasses of England. London: G. Bell. c. 1415 Falling double collar Voluminous open sleeves Pleated and belted Brass of John Peryent and his wife Hamline University Brass Rubbings Collection. c. 1426 Same collar Slightly smaller sleeves Pleated and belted Brass of John Cely and his wife Hamline University Brass Rubbings Collection c. 1435 -Similar collar to previous, maybe starting to widen slightly -Sleeves continue to shrink, bagged with narrow wrist -Pleated and belted Brass of John Launcelyn and his wife Hamline University Brass Rubbings Collection. c. 1445 -Very narrow collar, only the purfell shows -Neckline open to belt, but narrow -Sleeves are wide, but not bagged -Pleated and belted The Magdalene Reading Rogier van der Weyden National Gallery, London c. 1445-1450 Collar is wider Neck opening width of neck Smaller, but baggy sleeves Pleated and belted Seven Sacraments Altarpiece Rogier van der Weyden Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp Variations on collar width and sleeve styles Seven Sacraments Altarpiece Rogier van der Weyden Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp My chance to see the Seven Sacraments Altarpiece, but it was being cleaned. c. 1449 Wider collar Slightly wider neck opening Less baggy sleeves Little pleating visible through body St Eligius in His Workshop Petrus Christus Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York c. 1455 Wider neck opening Fitted sleeves Fitted through the body Portrait of a Lady Rogier van der Weyden National Gallery of Art, Washington *This picture is a bit skewed to avoid glare, because it is one that I took. Most images you see online of this painting are too dark in which to see body or sleeve details. c. 1464 -The neck opening starts to widen towards the point of the shoulders -Fitted sleeves and body Portrait of a Woman (Lady) Rogier van der Weyden National Gallery, London c. 1470 -V Collar at the point of the shoulders -Tightly fitted through arms and body Portrait of a Young Girl Petrus Christus Staatliche Museen, Berlin c. 1475 -Could be an example of a shaped-cut collar -Collar abuts above bottom of bust Portait of an Old Woman Hans Memling Musée du Louvre, Paris c. 1480 -Moving away from the V-neck style -Collar meets at a higher point -May have shaped-cut collar construction Portrait of a Young Woman Hans Memling Memlingmuseum, SintJanshospitaal, Bruges c. 1480 -Wide, shallow neck -Most likely an applied collar on a fitted dress (i.e. shaped-cut collar) -Very tight sleeves Mary of Burgundy's Book of Hours Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Vienna c. 1490 Shaped-cut collar Layers difficult to distinguish Donor Hans Memling National Museum of Art, Bucharest c. 1485 -High, shaped-cut neckline without collar -Worn over another layer -Fur shows at center front like later Transitional Gowns Bathsheba Hans Memling Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart c. 1490s -On the right, early example of the Transitional Gown -Shaped-cut collar is square in orientation -Becomes model for gowns through the late 15th and early 16th centuries Lactatio of saint Bernard of Clairvaux with donors Anonymous Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp • • • • • Definition Evolution Style elements Silhouette, layers and plackets Construction Tips Tristan de Léonois Français 102, fol. 66 Bibliothèque nationale de France Style Elements • • • • Deep or rounded back, with V-flap Fitted but sometimes wrinkled sleeves Fur at collar, wrists and sometimes hem Inside is usually shown lined with fur V-shaped flap on the back Histoires de Troyes Français 59, fol. 1 Bibliothèque nationale de France -Deeply scooped back -Some pleating through the center front skirt Valerius Maximus Français 43, fol. 102 Bibliothèque Nationale de France V-shaped flaps, rounded back neckline Jean Boutillier, Somme Rural Français 202, fol. 9 Bibliothèque Nationale de France Back shown without V-flap Baptism of Merlin Français 91, fol. 7 Bibliothèque Nationale de France Gown worn by all classes Baptism of Merlin Français 91, fol. 7 Bibliothèque Nationale de France Unlikely that the neckline dips low in back Worn with a hood, not a hennin Family and Servants Bartholomaeus Anglicus Bibliothèque Nationale de France c. 1464 Brocade (fabric) collar facing* Portrait of a Woman (Lady) Rogier van der Weyden National Gallery, London *Brocade cannot be seen in online photos. It is apparent in person, but unfortunately the museum does not allow photography. -Sleeve fits closely, but is wrinkled, not tight -Cuff is extended to knuckles, could otherwise be turned back The Donne Triptych (detail) Hans Memling National Gallery, London Wrinkled sleeves, loose enough to fit over other sleeves Tomb of Margaretha vander Banck d. 1472 Jerusalem Church, Bruges -Some French variations don’t seem to show placket or bodice of underdress -No fur at collar or hem -Unlined Tristan de Léonois Français 102, fol. 14 Bibliothèque Nationale de France Deeply scooped collar, no visible bodice underneath Valerius Maximus Français 43, fol. 102 Bibliothèque Nationale de France Deep fur band at hem. May be interpreted as a short gown over a longer gown. Chroniques d’Angleterre Français 76, fol. 61 Bibliothèque Nationale de France Ruffled collar seems to be another French variation (Shaped-cut collar style) Lancelot du Lac Français 113, fol. 167v Bibliothèque Nationale de France Appears to have colored partlet Almost shaggy fur Deep bands at hem and wrists Tristan de Léonois Français 102, fol. 37v Bibliothèque Nationale de France Entirely lined in fur Jean Boutillier, Somme Rural Français 202, fol. 15v Bibliothèque Nationale de France • • • • • Definition Evolution Style elements Silhouette, layers and plackets Construction Tips Confessio Amantis M.126, fol.120 Morgan Library, New York Silhouette varies from high and tight to low and natural. Almost corseted, high bust is most common depicted in art. Jean Boutillier, Somme Rural Français 202, fol. 15v Bibliothèque Nationale de France Retable de la Passion de Claudio Villa et Gentina Solaro Museum for Art and History, Brussels How are the layers constructed? Option A: Placket (aka stomacher) Option B: Side laced dress Option C: Front laced, no placket Straight-front seam supportive kirtle gives high, almost corseted appearance – more common • Curved-front seam supportive kirtle gives more natural appearance – less common • These options are not mutually exclusive! It’s likely that there were several variations. • • • • “That Placket Picture” Appears to be wearing a placket over a wide-laced underdress King Rene's Book of Love Fol. 55 -Unclear if this is a placket, a dress with a different skirt, or something else entirely -Note lack of waist seam on gown Chroniques du Hainaut Brussels MS 9243, f. 72 Bibliotheque Royale, Brussels A placket under a laced kirtle Raising of the Cross Master of the Starck Triptych National Gallery, Washington, DC Placket pinned-on over curved-front kirtle Placket Advantages -Easy to wear over front-laced dress -Can use a small amount of high quality fabric -Many images show a different color hem from visible bodice Placket Disadvantages -Wrinkles easily -If pinned tightly, pulls in shoulders of under dress visibly Side laced gown, no waist seam Visitation Rogier van der Weyden Museum der Bildenden Künste, Leipzig Side laced dress, with waist seam Deposition of Christ Museum for Art and History, Brussels Mary Magdalene wears a side laced dress Retable de la Passion de Claudio Villa et Gentina Solaro Museum for Art and History, Brussels Another view of Mary Magdalene Retable de la Passion de Claudio Villa et Gentina Solaro Museum for Art and History, Brussels In a later panel, Mary Magdalene is wearing the same dress under a narrow Vneck gown Retable de la Passion de Claudio Villa et Gentina Solaro Museum for Art and History, Brussels Likely side-laced dress Abegg Triptych Rogier van der Weyden Abegg-Stiftung, Riggisberg No front seam or lacing Passion (Greverade) Altarpiece Hans Memling Museum für Kunst- und Kulturgedichte, Lübeck Hidden lacing Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels Jean Fouquet Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp Side-lacing Advantages -More accurate silhouette -Always smooth, no wrinkles -Holds bust several inches higher than curved front seam with pinned placket -Simple solution Side-lacing Disadvantages -Harder to lace the side than the front Neutral -Visible waist seam line, does not show under fur-lined gown Front laced kirtle under gown Lamentation Rogier van der Weyden Koninklijk Kabinet van Schilderijen, The Hague • • • • • Definition Evolution Style elements Silhouette, layers and plackets Construction Tips Death of Lucretia Royal 17 F IV f211 Copyright © The British Library Converting Existing Fitted Dress Pattern • Use same back and sleeve pattern • Put gores in front, side, and back seams • If working with less fabric, use half width gores • Tilt front panel of existing dress pattern, so the opening of the V is at the edge of the fabric Modifying the front bodice panel Works for both straight and curved front seam fitted dresses Will adjust fit on the body afterwards Find the point just under the bust “Bra band height” Lay bodice on fabric This example has a fairly wide shoulder. Narrow the shoulder towards the armhole to move the opening out towards the point of shoulder. Extend bodice smoothly to length Grey area is the approximate front panel layout -Sample layout, with 60” fabric, folded in half -Uses approximately 4.5 - 5 yards, for an average height woman -Basic layout possible if no bodice piece is wider than 15” -With this layout, height will cause the most variation -Always sketch out a layout on paper with your own lengths (especially gore lengths!) before purchasing fabric Very full, pleated through center front skirt. Achieved with the angle of the front body panel, plus the inserted gore. Insert front gore at base of the V Histoires de Troyes Français 59, fol. 102v Bibliothèque Nationale de France Valerius Maximus Français 43, fol. 102 Bibliothèque Nationale de France -The front is open past the hips -Close with lacing or hook and eye Roman de la Rose Chroniques du Hainaut Brussels MS 9243, f. 72 Bibliotheque Royale, Brussels Why it’s a good idea to leave a longer front opening. Also, why it’s a good idea to never dress while alone. Collar Front (cut 2) Fold Collar Back Collar pieces Use the dress pattern to figure out back neckline and exact collar pattern. If using fabric, play with cutting the front pieces on grain or bias, depending on how much stretch you do or don’t want. Collar Construction • Can be cut as separate pieces, or all in one • Cut from fur or fabric (single color brocade, heavy wool, silk velvet) • If using fur, apply a fabric backing to the fur to hide raw edges, then sew to the outside of the dress • If using fabric, pay attention to where the seam allowances will be when sewing to the dress For More Information • Construction Information: http://www.mathildegirlgenius.com/FittingAndConstruction.htm • Karen’s page on Belts: http://www.larsdatter.com/wide-belts.htm • Headwear: http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/wsnlinks/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=1266 • Many Style Variations: http://cadieux.mediumaevum.com/burgundian-gown.html
