Sunday, January 2, 2011

Yay or Nay? Mary Wortley Montagu

Last week we continued our streak of Yays with the Comtesse of Beaufort's white gown and blue robe; simple yet elegant.  This week we shall judge something slightly similar but a little more exotic.


Jean Baptiste Vanmour paints Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (detail, 1717) in her Turkish robes and turban.  Yay or Nay?

[National Portrait Gallery]

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20 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 2, 2011 at 12:23 AM

    Holy YAY with a Capital Y, Batman! I love this dress. I wish the picture was bigger...

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  2. AnonymousJanuary 2, 2011 at 2:32 AM

    Yay for the exotic lady!

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  3. PaulineJanuary 2, 2011 at 3:52 AM

    I'm sort of waiting for my husband's relative Yul Brynner to show up off to the right. Just saying. But, even without him, OK ~ Yay.

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  4. Anne BoleynJanuary 2, 2011 at 5:40 AM

    I'd wear that out today, Yay!

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  5. EmmaJanuary 2, 2011 at 11:15 AM

    Yay! I love the switch to something more Regency, and I know the ladies were greatly inspired by the Middle East in particular to ther headwear.

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  6. AnonymousJanuary 2, 2011 at 11:32 AM

    I will have to say nay! That gold draping is just ridiculous. From the bosom down, the poor woman looks like a narrow window...

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  7. DorothyJanuary 2, 2011 at 11:42 AM

    She was a hundred years ahead of her time in fashion! This version of her in Persian dress is more attractive than others I've seen. Yay!

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  8. nightsmusicJanuary 2, 2011 at 11:55 AM

    Gorgeous though I'm no fan of turbans of any kind, but the dress more than makes up for it.

    YAY!

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  9. Elizabeth Kerri MahonJanuary 2, 2011 at 12:51 PM

    I say a big Yay! to a lovely author and playwright. Didn't she learn about vaccination for smallpox during her travels?

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  10. AnonymousJanuary 2, 2011 at 1:45 PM

    Yay! Lady Mary did indeed learn about inoculation for small pox and brought her knowledge back to England.

    Note that Lady Mary's letters include some of the first full descriptions of fashion.

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  11. SusanJanuary 2, 2011 at 3:05 PM

    Yay!

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  12. BadCatJanuary 2, 2011 at 6:23 PM

    Yay! I love it. Pure, unadulterated YAY!

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  13. UnknownJanuary 2, 2011 at 6:40 PM

    Without a doubt a Yay! Delightful. I am going to do my best to find my own! Dislike the feeling of envy, though it is deserved. D.S.

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  14. Snickers MomJanuary 2, 2011 at 8:58 PM

    YAY!!!!!! I love the draping, it's not across any areas that would be unflattering. I also like the trim on the overcoat. Big YAY!

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  15. RebeccaJanuary 5, 2011 at 2:24 AM

    Okay, i'm a little iffy about this one but, i've got to say yay. I love the detail :)

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  16. KatinkaJanuary 5, 2011 at 2:25 PM

    Big Yay! Very flattering to her already excellent figure. Ornate, without being garish.

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  17. EllaJanuary 5, 2011 at 4:37 PM

    Yay to the clothing, very delightful, the lighting on it is lovely. Nay to the painting, the figures get lost & look small in all that space. I understand the focus is supposed to be on the pair, but the background does seem to be a tad drab & more muddy than it should, I don't know if that's the artist or that the painting needs to be cleaned. Also, neither person looks very pleased, the woman looks a little cross to me.

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  18. Justin Gist PreuningerJanuary 8, 2011 at 3:36 PM

    I love it, but like others' mentioned, this looks like it dropped out of the Regency period, with the tight fit and lack of hoops, etc. I could even see a bit of an empire waist...

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  19. AnonymousJanuary 13, 2011 at 4:36 PM

    very elegant :-)
    yay:-) of course

    asperia

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  20. life's a soapSeptember 25, 2017 at 4:42 AM

    Yay - surprisingly Regency,or Napoleonic era, with the high waist, and unlike any other Turkish costume she was painted in. Because of the apparent historical contradiction stylewise, it's fascinating.

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