Sunday, July 24, 2011

Yay or Nay? Margaret Gage

"Nix the chapeau, Pompadour," cried our panel last week.  That silly small hat looked foolish on such a haute outfit, which earned the royal mistress as Yay. This week we are going to trade in straw hats for turbans.


John Singleton Copley paints Mrs. Thomas Gage (1771) in her Turkish-inspired peach gown.  Yay or Nay?

[Timken Museum of Art]

20 comments:

  1. I really like it. Yay :)

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  2. Love love love it. Love the turban, love the gown, adore the ribbon belt/ sash. This is my most wholehearted Yay yet!

    ~Lylassandra

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  3. Yay. I would love an outfit just like it!

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  4. Oh YAY!! Love the Turkish inspired costume and headwear. Exotic and fun!

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  5. I love the dress, especially the color, but the turban looks rather as if she has a pillow sitting on her head.

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  6. Individually, I don't like any of the elements in this, but collectively, I have to give it a big YAY!

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  7. Big Yay. This is on my "someday" costume list!

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  8. meh. She looks as excited about it as I do. The colours are muddy, the dress looks shapeless and the turban looks like an afterthought on the part of the artist. I have to give it a Nay, I think. Am I being too harsh? I haven't had any coffee yet today and I'm tired of the HEAT! Maybe that's it.

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  9. Absolute yay, love the à la Turque great warm colours, good match with the sofa as well - which is a beauty by itself. I don't think she looks bored, but it might just be a hot day or she's contemplating over the revolution and which side to take. It was said her loyalties were torn between the land of her birth (America) and that of her husband a British General; it's even been suggested this 'bored' lady with the exotic robe was a spy.
    All in all, massive yay

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  10. H'yeah, h'yeah, h'yeah. Um, yes I say. I love the bronze and if I could actually make out the turban, maybe. Bored Mona Lisa smirkage. Meh.

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  11. YAY! She looks elegant and comfortable, very nice.

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  12. Yay for Mrs. Gage. And that's a vicious, tho long-standing rumour about her being a spy--I think twas her brother spilled the beans. Take a look at this great blog about the years leading up to the Revolution, with more info about this painting, as well as speculation about the spy's identity. Have fun exploring!
    http://boston1775.blogspot.com/search/label/Margaret%20Gage

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  13. Oops, the address is missing some info. Try cutting and pasting this:

    http://boston1775.blogspot.com/
    search/label/Margaret%20Gage

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  14. Am I hating hats lately because they just look too hot in the summer? The color of the turban (and the darkness of the portrait) reminded me of something you might find in a field after the cows were brought in. But I do like the dress and love the color, so yay.

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  15. The fabulous sofa, her 'expensive portrait' expression. Definitely a Yay.

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  16. A BIG, enormous Yay :D

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  17. Comfortable, exotic, and at ease... I love it!

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  18. Oh Nay! It's all frumpy and slouchy over her bust (droopy boob is never a good look), and the colours are dull and muddy and doing nothing for her complexion.

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  19. "Do you like it? It's Turkish! My hairdresser says everything this year is going to be Turkish!"

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