Puce

Puce is perhaps a better topic (and colour) for Marie Antoinette's Gossip Guide, but it was very much of interest to fashionable gentry in England as well!

The invention of "puce" is an amusing story in itself. Every fashion in France had to have a special name and these ranged from the basic to the downright humorous (ie: dauphin's poo). The socially awkward Louis never knew how to tell his wife how to ease up on the extravagant fashions and attempted many methods that all failed. Being straightforward is always the best policy says I! One day when he walked in on the queen trying on a new dress, he attempted to discourage her with the mean humour common at court. As Caroline Weber tells, in Queen of Fashion, "When the Queen asked her husband how he liked the confection, which was made from taffeta of an odd pinkish-tan hue, he replied laconically: 'It is the color of a flea [puce].'" The plan backfired, and the queen (and everyone else with her) loved the nickname for the colour and it stuck.

When Lady Spencer visited France in 1775 she noticed the trend in full-force,

"I have no material intelligence to give you except that you can wear no colour that is not either dos de puce or ventre de puce, it is the uniform at Fontainebleau and the only colour that can be worn..."

A few days later she wrote again to Georgiana to tell her she bought her a coat of ventre de puce but had yet to find her something nice in dos de puce. The following month Lady Clermont wrote to Georgiana to tell her

"[Marie Antoinette] has desire'd me to wear the uniform, which is a polonaise, couleur de puce."

I'm guessing she did too! You can't reject fashion advice from the Queen of Fashion! It is probably safe to say that the Empress of Fashion (as Walpole dubbed Georgiana) had already sent in her order for a polonaise in puce as soon as these letters had reached her.

State Portraits of England and France

When a monarch (and his consort) rose to power, one of the best things to do to assert their awesome ability to rule a country was to paint them in all their glory. These fantastic paintings, known as state portraits, differ from other 18th century portraits because they expressed a political ideal of an all-powerful being. Decked out on in coronation robes, the full-length monarch holds their royal regalia in a timeless setting that displays their wealth. The portraits were meant to generate awe, and when you see them in person, your mouth does kind of hang open.




















Of course I love comparing the English aesthetic to the French. King George and Queen Charlotte had no choice but to allow Joshua Reynolds to do their portraits since he was the head of the Royal Academy. They much preferred Gainsborough (who painted many portraits of them and their family) because of his personal views and style of painting; but decorum deemed they had to have Reynolds paint them. The result is a rather dark portrait duo. In Reynold's brown hues the two monarchs are seated at their thrones, looking as if they are being crushed by their heavy uniforms of state.

Now here comes those young kids who are ruling France! Judging by Louis' portrait you would never know the deathly shy, naive, scared little boy that is contained under the gold fleur de lys. He stands in his finery, a true descendant of the Sun King. His crown does not lay on his head but is on a pillow in the background as a reminder that yes, this is your king. Marie's portrait is quite interesting. While it compliments her husband's, it also is a testament to her purpose as France's consort: a union with Austria. While she is also decked out in France colours, flowers, and symbols she still shows a bit of her Austrian roots which she had to give up upon her marriage. On the table beside her sits a pillow with both a Hapsburg rose and the French lily, showing the uniting of countries. It is the only small hint at her true orgins. Meanwhile, those French lilies are popping out everywhere! Fresh lilies are placed in the folds of her grand corps gown, asserting her devotion to France, as well as making her smell really good while she was sweating during the painting of the portrait!