Joseph Dorffmeister paints Maria Luisa (1797) in her rich mahogany library wearing a a muslin gown fit for a queen, complete with veiled, feathered headdress and pearl accents.
[The Kunsthistorische Museum]
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Yay or Nay? Princess Luisa
Who are we to judge a king's wardrobe? Barely anyone dared to question King Gustave's choice of garb last week and the overall consensus was a 'Yay.' This week, we continue to judge royal wardrobes as they near the new century.
Joseph Dorffmeister paints Maria Luisa (1797) in her rich mahogany library wearing a a muslin gown fit for a queen, complete with veiled, feathered headdress and pearl accents.
Joseph Dorffmeister paints Maria Luisa (1797) in her rich mahogany library wearing a a muslin gown fit for a queen, complete with veiled, feathered headdress and pearl accents.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Yay!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I found your blog last week and I love it.
Thanks Alexis! Glad you found it!
ReplyDeleteWow.
ReplyDeleteYAY, for the dress, and the hair.
Yeah, I just have to be honest about this one. She was hella ugly.
Was her hapsburg jaw caused by inbreeding?
Yay. The muslin looks gorgeous! Loving the little cute dog too!
ReplyDeleteLol at anon...."hella ugly". Tee-hee. I thought exactly the same myself. "Nice dress, shame about the face!" But the outfit is a definite YAY from me. I love it, the muslin, the pearls..... so dreamy and feminine.
ReplyDeleteBig YAY!
ReplyDeleteThough obviously not a natural beauty it looks as if the Princess was smart enough to have a good stylist. Would that we were all that lucky!
Yay on the dress - but I'd rather talk about that gorgeous green drape behind her. I wish I had that.
ReplyDeleteWith her woolly hair and long face, she looks a bit like a sheep in Princess' clothing.
The placement of the portrait broach is a little awkward, but other than that a heart Yay! Also, love the setting! Its so nice to see an 18th century portrait, especially on of a woman, that is not only set inside, but in a Library!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, what a beautiful painting! And as to her outfit, a definite yay. Normally I think so many ruffles, the veil, miniature, etc. would be too much, but she manages to carry it off, as well wearing those ostrich feathers without coming off like a bird herself. Plus, I'm in love with all the fabrics in this painting.
ReplyDeleteYay! I like the fabric (esp her sleeves) and her placement of pearls and I totally agree that the setting of a library is just fabu. Draperies are usually red or blue, so I am extra pleased to see green, a color I favor in my own decor. And I adore her little dog--he looks smarter than most people.
ReplyDeleteToo bad she's a clock-stopper, but a gal who loves books and her dog is okay by me.
Yay! Lovely fabric.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you guys are enjoying the green fabric as much as me!
ReplyDeleteOooo, that's lovely. Yay, most definitely. I love the whole outfit.
ReplyDeleteYay. There's muslins, and then there are muslins. Beautiful fabric and accessories. The posture of a princess. She may have that face but she's royalty and I bet she has a big dowry also.
ReplyDeleteYay to be certain! A beautiful ensemble, on a lady who (let's be honest) needs some nice clothing to look good. Her hair, I agree, is a bit sheep-like.
ReplyDeleteYay for the outfit! It would be totally OTT on most people, but she manages to pull it off - It must be all the character in her face :-P
ReplyDeleteI notice that her hands are just beautiful, with the creamy glow the whole piece has. Does anyone know if those would represent her real hands? I thought I remember something from art appreciate classes about the bodies usually being done to a learned ideal, often off site, and the faces from real sittings.
ReplyDeleteNay. The muslin gown should have covered her face as well.
ReplyDeleteProbably she did not do it because it would take meters of muslin to hide that Rosy de Palma nose and that Habsburg chin...
Love the dog..it would make a lovely fur stole...
(sorry..I am being such a bitter queen today...)
Totally YAY for me! I love the belt and the sleeves - the colors! <3 Not too fund of that eccessoir though - the dog... And I can't say that nose fits her very well... She's got big and kind eyes though - so you almost miss that wide mouth... ;P
ReplyDeleteYay! She looks adorable (and her little dog, too!).
ReplyDeleteYay! She's hot!
ReplyDeleteYay
ReplyDeleteThe dress was really nice, but (although I know high feathers was all the rage for a period) I think with her face, she would have been better off with wearing hers more closely to the head.
Mein Gott what a visage! Never one to be unreasonably unkind, I will say only that the Lady is a scarecrow! The frock, however, is lovely indeed. Yay!
ReplyDeleteYay. the dress is gorgeous, although I'm pretty sure if she was living today she'd be in an out of meetings with top LA surgeons a la Heidi Montag.
ReplyDeletebtw found your blog a couple weeks ago and I'm addicted! you're fantastic!!
Thank you so much Paula!
ReplyDeleteA yay from me. I really like that she is sporting matching pearl bracelets on both wrists, nice and symmetrical :)
ReplyDeleteYay, for the outfit, very elegant and light. But I'm not sure about the ostrich feathers on her, it attracts the eyes upwards and so to her not-so-attractive face and, yes, the hair looks sheepy...But because she has great pose of a smart princess (yay for the library and the dog too) let's give her an overall YAY!!!
ReplyDeleteBTW congrats on the blog, you're doing a great job! And these YAY OR NAY posts are really funny... :)
Very classy. Yay!
ReplyDeleteShe's horribly ugly, but I am in LOVE with her outfit! It makes her look dainty and refined (no doubt the object), but not too overdone. So it's a yay!
ReplyDeleteI think the portrait overall shows off exactly the things it's supposed to - it is meant to make her an attractive candidate for a wife. It shows off her charm, her sense of style, grace, eyes, and lovely skin. Admit it: the first thing you look at is her face. So, goal attained!!
A big YAY!! :o)
You know what, sometimes being ugly is just as attractive as being pretty and this princess carries off the ugly. Jolie-laide is the term, I believe.
ReplyDeletewhat a gorgeous outfit, a vision of Princessly beauty from the soles of her shoes right up to her neck...but it all goes a bit wrong after that!
ReplyDeleteBig YAY! I think I love everything about it! I'm a huge fan of muslin and pearls, and she pulled them together perfectly!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beauuutiful dress! Yay for this!
ReplyDeletehttp://tigerlilysbook.blogspot.com