Dress
Unknown Artist
ca. 1872
Medium
a) cotton, porcelain; b) cotton
Classification
Dress
Culture
French
Department
Costume Institute
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 2003
Accession Number
2003.426a, b
Art Historical Context
This elegant French dress, dating to around 1872, exemplifies theulent fashion of the Second Empire's final years, just before the Third Republic's rise. Crafted primarily from cotton—a lightweight, breathable fabric ideal for layered 19th-century silhouettes—it incorporates delicate porcelain elements, likely in buttons, beads, or trims, adding a touch of luxury and whimsy. The two-part construction (a: cotton, porcelain; b: cotton suggests a bodice and skirt ensemble, typical of the era's daywear, designed for both comfort and visual drama. In the 1870s, French couture was at its pinnacle, ...