Sunday, May 15, 2011

Yay or Nay? Anna Karolina Orzelska

Poor Lady Gaga Anne-Germaine Larrivee; she thought out of the box and it was unsuccessful.  Her blue and white disaster earned her a Nay.  Maybe blue is not in this season...or maybe it is.  Let's check out a different shade.

Antoine Pesne paints Anna Karolina Orzelska (1730) unpowdered in rich blue silks complete with pug and walking stick.  Yay or Nay?

31 comments:

  1. RebeccaMay 15, 2011 at 12:48 AM

    I actually really like this. The colour is beautiful, and I simply adore the pattern adorning the front, although, I do disapprove of the sleaves.
    And the walking stick, it just doesn't work in my opinion.

    All in all I give this a YAY!

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  2. AlisaMay 15, 2011 at 1:07 AM

    A definite Yay! I"d love to do a recreation of this dress, actually...

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  3. AnonymousMay 15, 2011 at 1:15 AM

    Oh, my! Yay, most assuredly, yay! The blues and golds are fabulous and the contrast between the dress and underskirt is just perfect. The décolletage is incredibly flattering ... to be frank, the entire dress is flattering and she's simply gorgeous.

    The only detractors are the walking stick --- even though she's holding the dog the stick just looks out of place to the modern eye --- and the spray of flowers (or is it a broach?) at the neckline. It appears that behind it there is more richly embroidered fabric; showing that off would be a better choice. Though I wonder if it's symbolic ...

    For a closer look, click here.

    Overall, I love it!

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  4. UnknownMay 15, 2011 at 1:26 AM

    This is definitely a YAY! I absolutely love it.

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  5. PatriciaMay 15, 2011 at 1:30 AM

    yay, oh yay! the gown is lovely, she is lovely, and the pug and the walking stick are a must!

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  6. Gas Mask MayhemMay 15, 2011 at 1:37 AM

    First, I've been spying on your blog for little while now, but have yet to comment. I must say, I love these "Yay or Nay" posts.

    At any rate, I don't particularly like that flower bouquet-esque attachment at the neck line, it's a bit much, the dress could've done without it. I also am not sure about the inclusion of either the walking-stick nor the pug, but for me, those accessories are easily ignored.

    That being said, I love this dress! The cut of the dress is very flattering, the colors are positively stunning, especially that deep blue. The whole look is beautiful and without that ghastly flower bush, it would've pulled the whole thing together perfectly. She looks fantastic! Love it, definitely a Yay!

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  7. KatieMay 15, 2011 at 1:52 AM

    Oh, that's a yay. The dress is simply stunning.

    I, actually, like the sleeves. It balances the dress out. I think if it were sleeveless or with sleeves close to the skin, it would make her look off-balanced due to her narrow shoulders (and super itty bitty head! Someone wasn't paying to their proportions! That head needs to be a shaving bigger!) The wideness of the cuff balances her out.

    I swear to God that stick is too small to be a walking stick. It looks more like a scepter (on a ribbon) as she was the illegitimate child of the King of Poland and the daughter of Arnold II the Strong (she was a noblewoman. Thank goodness for Google!) It could be a symbol that she was born a royal BUT can't inherit the title because she's a bastard child.

    Pugs were the dogs of royalty at the time so that may further the symbolism (yes, that IS a Pug. I know my breeds. The artist made it look like a monkey. Poor Pug!)

    The flowers are a sign of youth and fertility. So, I'm thinking she's trying to say she's a hidden young royal gem, especially given the background.

    That's my "interpretation," if you will. Bu the dress get's two thumbs up!

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  8. AnonymousMay 15, 2011 at 2:43 AM

    I adore the colors-- definitely a Yay!

    ~Lylassandra

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  9. I Wandered Lonely as a CloudMay 15, 2011 at 2:49 AM

    Yay!

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  10. PaulineMay 15, 2011 at 3:06 AM

    Yay from me; she is foreshadowing Victorian and modern Hollywood chic all at the same time. Wow.

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  11. Miss BettyMay 15, 2011 at 3:21 AM

    Yay! Gorgeous color and lovely trimmings. And it's nice to see an earlier gown on here! I guessed 1730 even before I read the text. Very pretty!
    But the poor pug doesn't look too happy...

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  12. EllaMay 15, 2011 at 4:58 AM

    YAY! YAY! YAY! Colour is striking as is the dress itself, especially with her complexion & hair colour. It's all very nicely balanced.

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  13. cherylynnMay 15, 2011 at 8:21 AM

    The dress is awesome. I love the sleeves, the neckline, the rich sheen of the blue etc. And she is lovely (no nasty powdered hair!) However she is holding the pug and the walking stick in such a way that it looks as if they were added in later.

    As well, my first thought about the background on the left is that it looks like a hazy city sky-line or a high rise apartment complex---sort of threw me off there. A contrast to the more detailed, classical sculptures in the right background

    But it's all about the dress as far as I'm concerned, so a big Yay from me.

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  14. AnonymousMay 15, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    Yay yay yay! Love this!

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  15. CarameaMay 15, 2011 at 9:56 AM

    Though I don't quite get the idea of that walking stick (I mean, she doesn't look old, does she really need it?!), the dress is gorgeous! Those colors, so bold, yet elegant - and the patterns on the front! And the puppy is cute too, so YAY!

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  16. AnonymousMay 15, 2011 at 10:03 AM

    YAY! Gorgeous blue, just ignore the dog. Walking stick? Pose with it to one side, hand resting gracefullly upon. Much better. Retro.

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  17. PlumMay 15, 2011 at 10:21 AM

    this is a huge yay from me, such a beautiful dress even if the posing with props and the proportions leave some to be desired. Thats the artists end not the ladys fashion sense :)

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  18. nightsmusicMay 15, 2011 at 10:27 AM

    Stunning! I love it. Out of place dog and walking stick to boot.

    It's a gorgeous, unpowdered, fun portrait and her expression shows it.

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  19. Olympe de la Tour D'AuvergneMay 15, 2011 at 10:43 AM

    Yay! I've loved this portrait for a long time. The elements of her dress are in such harmony.

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  20. Miho LunatiqueMay 15, 2011 at 11:14 AM

    Yay! I'm commenting for the first time here, but I really do like this dress. It's peacock coloured and very elegant in my opinion.

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  21. Snickers MomMay 15, 2011 at 11:20 AM

    YAY! Does it come in my size?

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  22. GrubStLodgerMay 15, 2011 at 1:11 PM

    I can't get my eyes past the dappling of colours, BIG yay - I bit it crackles though.

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  23. balsamfirMay 15, 2011 at 4:35 PM

    Yay. The painter is a bit awkward, but they've done justice to the fabric and she looks fresh and relaxed.

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  24. CarrotsMay 15, 2011 at 6:36 PM

    love love love love love love love! A thousand Yays.

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  25. The DreamstressMay 15, 2011 at 6:40 PM

    First impressions: petrol blue = swoonworthy (though petrol blue was obviously not the 18th century name for that colour!)

    On closer inspection...weeeeelllll...the petticoat shade really doesn't go with the overdress. And there is something not quite right about the bouquet. And the pose is a little odd.

    But, on balance, it's still a Yay. Barely, maybe 6.5 out of 10. But Yay.

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  26. Svea LoveMay 15, 2011 at 11:09 PM

    YAY!!!! No doubt about it, an absolute yay!

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  27. Katherine LouiseMay 16, 2011 at 9:06 AM

    A definite Yay! I love everything about it, the colors, the turned back sleeves, her interesting and beautiful face, the pug, even the walking stick. Do you think it's really for walking, or just another accessory? (the stick, I mean, not the pug!)

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  28. Snickers MomMay 16, 2011 at 12:56 PM

    Looked Anna Karolina Orzelska up on Wikipedia and it seems she was a very active lady (in more ways than one ;)), so I'm guessing the walking stick probably represented that.

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  29. LauraMay 16, 2011 at 6:35 PM

    Big YAY! I think this is beautiful! I love the cut of the dress, the rich colors, and it is refreshing to see a woman without that weird gray hair. The only thing that isn't a big thumbs up is the dog - if she really wanted a dog, a cute white fluffy one would have looked much nicer in the painting. :)

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  30. OzorsanMay 18, 2011 at 4:16 PM

    It's little Bo Peep,
    and look- no sheep!
    she took in a pug,
    as a temporary sub,
    but I'm afraid it's a nay from me.

    What is part of the NY skyline doing at the back? Anyway, though the colour is nice, her head looks too small for her body (in contrast with a rather large left arm) and it seems as though she's wearing stilts under her skirt.

    It appears i'm the only nay though..

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  31. KRHMay 21, 2011 at 4:43 AM

    Yay, though her head looks rather small. Is it the artist, the cut of the neckline, or her head?
    Beautiful, beautiful blue.

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