Marie Antoinette's

Portrait of the Comtesse de Beaufort (or is it?)

Louis Michel van Loo, Portrait of the Comtesse de Beaufort. 1760, oil on canvas. The Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College.

"This beautiful idealized portrait has been long known as La Comtesse de Beaufort, though her identity needs to be further investigated." (Old Masters, n.d.) I love this portrait, especially how color reflects off the white satin bodice. It almost looks like the blue sky in a mirror. Look closely at some of the colorful gemstones (detail below).

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The Interrupted Sleep, 1750

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How to frame a Boucher! "The Interrupted Sleep" 1750, oil on canvas

A post shared by Lauren (@mariegossip) on Oct 11, 2012 at 11:01am PDT

Boucher's The Interrupted Sleep caught my eye while passing through the museum...

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Happy Fall! Carving the pumpkin

Bail, Franck-Antoine, Cutting the Pumpkin. 1910, oil on canvas. Private Collection. Bridgeman Education.

Happy Fall!

I have spent the past two days looking through the thick white haze that has reached New York from the west coast wildfires. Our environment weighs heavy in my thoughts as often as the struggles of my neighbors who are dealing with the effects of the pandemic. I hope you and your families find yourselves in good health this fall, with fresh air to breathe and a large orange well-shaped pumpkin to carve. Turn off the lights and enjoy peaceful evenings with the windows open and soft yellow serene candlelight. 🕯️🎃🌙

Sending warmest wishes for the start of autumn from my new place!
Lauren

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Which style gown do you prefer?

I have run this poll twice now, 2015 and 2016. Each year the results were close...will this year be the same? The poll is now open! Which style gown do you prefer?

The Robe à l'Anglaise or the Robe à la Française?

Both styles were worn between the years of 1720 and 1780. The robe à l'anglaise developed with a fitted back after the style of dress worn in England. The sacque-back of the robe à la Française is reinterpreted from the seventeenth–century gown to incorporate two expansive pleats from the neckline at back.

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Marie Antoinette's Boudoir at Fontainebleau

Jules-Marc-Antoine Frappaz, Marie Antoinette's Boudoir. 1876, oil on canvas. Musée national du Château de Fontainebleau.

Then and now pictures of Marie Antoinette's Boudoir at Fontainebleau! Drawings are from 1876 and the photographs are from the 21st century. Is it to your taste?

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Seven Charges made against Marie Antoinette

Many people use Yahoo Questions and sometimes some pretty funny ones will pop up during searches. I stumbled on my amazingly relevant Yahoo Question of the Day recently, "What was the deal with Marie Antoinette?"

So the asking party really was wondering if she was executed, which I think we all here can safely answer 'yes.' But what were the grounds for her execution? Let's take a look at her trial....

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Versailles: a Bedroom of style

Photo tour!

The Queen's bedroom at Versailles saw its fair share of lady occupants. The style of the furnishings rotated with the fashions, which were kept up for the ladies, naturally. They could update the decor and commission works for the rooms as they wished. Today it is left as it was when Marie Antoinette occupied the room. The Guard room is the only room that is in its 17th-century state. This room was occupied by the Queen's guard (twelve body guards).

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Marie Antoinette's Shoes

I have found four pairs of shoes that Marie Antoinette owned and one fabulous pair she didn't own!

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The Dining room from Kirtlington Park

Dining room from Kirtlington Park, Oxfordshire, 1742–48 Designed by John Sanderson (English, active from 1730, died 1774) Wood, plaster, and marble H. 20 ft. (6.09 m), L. 36 ft. (10.97 m), W. 24 ft. (7.32 m) Fletcher Fund, 1931 (32.53.1). The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

One of my favorite period rooms at The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the Dining room from Kirtlington Park, Oxfordshire. This room was designed mid-18th century, and walking through is really a transporting experience. The details in the panels, stucco, and chimney-piece are beautiful. The lighting and decoration are thoughtfully done. The wooden floors are original, and believed to be from trees from the owner's estate!

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It's a Royal Wedding Weekend!

As we gear up for a Royal Wedding, I thought it would be a great time to take a look at all the fun festivities at royal weddings in 18th century France!

PS- Feel free to go into princess / prince-mode this week!

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18th Century Royal Wedding Ceremony: Marie Antoinette

I found this excellent account of the wedding ceremony between Marie Antoinette and Louis-Auguste. This is not about the festivities, which were no doubt fun, but the actual ceremony that took place.

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Marie Antoinette and Louis: Wedding Festivities

"The fireworks were less beautiful than had been hoped because the smoke obscured the general effect: but the illuminations, as well as the spectacle of the ball were of the greatest and most superb magnificence."

Mdm. du Deffand to M. Walpole

Younghusband, Helen Augusta Magniac. 1912. Marie-Antoinette: her early youth (1770-1774). London: Macmillan. 54.

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The Pleasures of the Seasons, Snowed In

Johann Georg Platzer, Winter [The Pleasures of the Seasons]. Early/mid 18th Century, oil on copper. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

What do you do on a snow day?

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The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking Spotlight + Book Giveaway!

Not long after I started blogging here I came across Lauren Stowell's blog on historical costuming. A long time follower, I was delighted to learn that Lauren, teamed up with Abby Cox, has recently published a book on 18th-century dressmaking. Let's dive into the book and see what it is all about!

I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher; all opinions are my own, of course. Read on for a chance to win a signed copy of the new book!