Marie Antoinette's

The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has an incredible collection of 18th century frocks, and I just had to share them with you! 

Jean-Baptiste Greuze, Fabre d'Eglantine.  Oil on canvas, around 1775-94. Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

This week's fashionable male is Philippe François Nazaire Fabre d'Eglantine as seen here, by famed painter Greuze. 

 Joseph Wright, Sir Brooke Boothby. 1781, Oil on canvas. Tate Gallery.

Buttons were worn on garments as early as the 14th century, for decoration.  Two centuries later, they became more popular; liberally adorning garments- very expensive garments.  The button was a luxury ornament.  Buttons were covered with cloth during the reign of Louis XIV,  and would be manufactured in steel, and later gilt.

The 18th century was a great period for buttons.  Matthew Boulton, an engineer and inventor,  perfected his machinery to manufacture them efficiently and quickly. Buttons for all!

detail.

I love this description of the buttons on the suit above from the Metropolitain Museum of Art:

"The distinctive buttons on this 18th-century suit characterize the flamboyance with which French men dressed to match the opulence of their female counterparts. The liberally applied buttons would have been a lively pink color and glittering in candlelight next to the elegant textile and salmon-colored lining. The slim silhouette is emphasized by the narrow shoulders, curved front opening and elongated pocket flaps."

Today's fashionable male is actually an unknown subject, however he knew his style.  Offsetting his fair complexion and blue eyes, Monsieur Unknown has opted for a green suit of velvet lined with a matching satin.  The jacket is lined with gold trim and numerous gold buttons.  Exaggerated buttons (size and number) were  a trend in the later 18th century.  There were even caricatures made emphasizing the ridiculous nature of large, flashy, (unsightly?) buttons! 

Johann Friedrich August Tischbein, Nicolas Châtelain. 1791, oil on canvas.  Neue Pinakothek.

Nicolas Châtelain was born of a French family in scenic Rotterdam on November 23, 1769.  He was an author who wrote, what some call imitation literature, imitating the styles of others.  This, he claimed, was merely literary exercise for his own pleasure, in hopes that others received pleasure from it as well.  His works, so well written and so convincing, had experts duped as to the true author!  Some of those he imitated were Voltaire and Madame de Sevigny.  They were all done without malicious intentions, and many found them entertaining.

detail, cravat

He settled in Rolle, Switzerland during the Revolution, and entertained many who were escaping France.  Those in Rolle included some friends of the Duc de Noailles, and those close to Madame de Staël's then popular circle (she had  spent some time there).  He spent his time with friends and an ever changing circle of people traveling from town to town, but also reading and, of course, writing. He lived to 87, passing away at home on 27 September 1856.


Monsieur Châtelain casually leans against a stone wall for his full length portrait by Johann Friedrich August Tischbein.  He is twenty two years old with a keen interest in the fine arts.  He is wearing a high crowned and cocked hat in black, a frock coat with turned down collars and no cuffs.  The turned down collars expose his cravat, which ruffles just right under the chin.

detail, buttons and stockings

His waistcoat is most likely silk, and to wear stripes was the height of fashion.  This one has green trim with burgundy touches. These details match the frock coat.  The pockets are also detailed in green.  Also very popular were laced shoes, which would later give way to the boot.  His breeches, although not skin tight, still cling close and go just to the knee; they are gathered with buttons over white stockings.  This shows off a well turned leg, a sight for ladies, dare I say, gentlemen as well?

George Kein Hayward Coussmaker was born in 1759 in Kent.  His family was Dutch, and his ancestor John de Coussmaker was said and most probably arrived in England along with William III, in his suite.   They became a successful merchant family in London, settling in Surrey.  His father, George Coussmaker had married Mary Hayward in 1758, and they had two children, George K. H. Coussmaker and a daughter, Catharine (Kitty).

His father passed away leaving his mother to remarry Thomas Pym Hales, and together they had several daughters.  George moved out of the house first (surely out of necessity - a house of seven girls!) and became Colonel of the 1st Gaurds. 

Fun fact! George's mother, now Lady Hale, and his sister Miss Coussmaker (Kitty) became close with Susanna Burney (especially his sister).  Through this connection she met Jane Austen!

When he was 24 he hired Reynolds to paint his portrait.  He paid about £200 for it.


At 31 he married Catharine Southwell, who was 22 at the time.  Her father was Lord Clifford. Yes he married quite well!  Lord Clifford has passed away before his daughter married and they were married under a special license.  The wedding took place on 13 November 1790 at the parish of St George (Hanover Square) at her mother's house (Lady Clifford portrait on left) on Stanhope Street.  I do not know of a portrait of Catharine, but if she inherited any beauty from her mother it is easy to see George was smitten!

George and Catharine had a daughter Sophie on 4 November 1791 and a son in 1797, Geroge (of course!).  Sadly, George and Catharine would only live to see their 10th wedding anniversary.  She went with him to Martinqiue, where he caught yellow fever.  Nursing him was to no avail, and he passed away on 11 July 1801.  Catharine had also contracted the disease and 8 days later, joined her husband in death.  The children were left to Catharine's brother Edward's care, who was at the time 21st Lord de Clifford.

Their son was schooled at Westminster and Oxford while Sophie married a Whig grandee, Lord William Russell. her brother died at the young age of 24, leaving his sister the heir to the barony of Clifford through her mother!

Burberry