Yay or Nay? Robespierre

This happy crowd surprises me! Although many seemed on the fence, you also seemed to be in another generous mood and Mrs. Edmund Morton Pleydell was given a pass, or in our case, a Yay! Now before we sharpen our scythes let me preference this Yay or Nay with: remember we're looking at the fashion, keep politics out of it! Or at least just Yay or Nay the fashion, since I know it's impossible to keep politics out of it.


Adélaïde Labille-Guiard draws Maximilien Robespierre (1786) in his tailored black getup. Yay or Nay?

[Versailles]

Yay or Nay? The Duchess of Osuna

Woops! Please excuse my tardiness in delivering the news of Olga Zherebtsov's victorious Yay. Although her hair may have earned her a nay Olga's good taste in clothes won many over.  For this late-edition of Yay or Nay we will leave the cold country of Russia for the warm coasts of Spain.

Francisco Goya paints Doña María Josefa Alonso-Pimentel y Téllez-Girón (1785) in her blue polonaise and straw hat.  Yay or Nay?

[Kunsthistorisches Museum]

Yay or Nay? Maria Francisca Bendita

Something odd happened last week with David Garrick's Yay or Nay. Viewers became critical of the actual painting and not Garrick's outfit, so I have no idea what the outcome could accurately be! So in this rare case I will say Gainsborough received a Nay on his portrayal but the ensemble received a Yay. That's fair enough, isn't it? So let's avoid pear-shapes this week and return to a shape we are more familiar and comfortable with; gotta love those panniers!


The Princess of Brazil (1773) wears a wide pannier-ed, midnight blue gown with decadent gold embroidery. Yay or Nay?

[Hermitage Museum]

Yay or Nay? Mrs Marie Dauncey

Please excuse this very late edition or our normally scheduled fashion critique.  My recent travels have prevented posting so I have a bit of blogger's guilt which I need to relieve in an immediate Yay or Nay (not to mention, I cannot bear another day without snappy comments).  When we last left off Maria Amalia Christina was impressing everyone with her fancy frock and earned herself a Yay.  Now for something a little different; let's look at headgear.

James Northcote paints Marie Dauncey (1789) in her towering mauve hat.  Yay or Nay?

[Philip Mould]

Yay or Nay? Madame Pompadour

It's a Yay or Nay first.  For once we are split right down the center and cannot come to a decision of whether Lady Egremont is in or out.  To be honest I am a little stunned!  However, this week I think we shall have no trouble deciding whether we like this selection or not!

François-Hubert Drouais paints Jeanne Antoinette Poisson in a warm grey day dress and small straw hat.  Yay or Nay?

[Chateau de Champs-sur-Marne]

Yay or Nay? Mrs Weller

It was another close call with last week's Yay or Nay but the Duchess of Alba survived with a Yay, amongst much debate. Honestly, I was surprised how much flack her hair got. I was thinking of asking her where she got her extensions! This week we are going to jump back into some classic dress of the century and some more contained hair.


Francis Hayman paints Mrs John Badger Weller in her classic open gown of pink and pearl. Yay or Nay?

[UK National Collections]

Yay or Nay? Marquesa Isabel Parreno Arce

Last week's initial Yay or Nay was met with much success. The overwhelming consensus was a big "YAY, Woohoo, how fabulous!" But will you like this week's selection?


Anton Raphael Mengs paints the Marquesa de Llano (1773) in her black and white masquerade "maja" gown. Yay or Nay?

Yay or Nay? Olga Zherebtsova

Well that Yay was heard loud and clear!  Comtesse Regnault de Saint-Jean d'Angely and her green gown were showstoppers and perhaps the most popular Yay or Nay yet!  It's a little daunting to come up with a followup to judge.  But then again, where would the fun be if we always had Yays, especially showstopping Yays. 

Jean Louis Voille paints Olga Zherebtsova (late 1780s, early 1790s) in purple sulk and white gauze.  Yay or Nay?

Yay or Nay? Queen Charlotte

Sorry, Lis, close but no cigar! Although the votes were split down the center, Elisabeth of Brunswick was give a Nay. Her offense? The pink "bowtie." These foreign queens just don't have any taste, do they? Active yay or nayer, rileyp suggested we try someone who might appeal to our more English sensibilities.


Nathaniel Dance paints the Queen of England (1769) in glitzy gold and white accented by many, many pearls. Be sure to click on the picture to see it in all its glory. Yay or Nay?

[Uppark]

Yay or Nay? Archduchess Maria Josefa

I've been mourning the loss of one of my old favourites, Project Runway. The summer just isn't the same without waiting every week to see which outlandish designer is "out" and which are "in" for another week. Well, many readers who grace this blog enjoy fashion, so let's have our own little historical fashion show. I will post a painting and you determine whether it's a "Yay" or a "Nay." Heck, you can even deem it as a "Great Merciful Mother, no!! What are you thinking?"

Anton Rafael Mengs paints Archduchess Maria Josefa (1765) in a mantua of orange and blue. Yay or Nay?

Yay or Nay? Maria Pilar

Last week we had our first edition of hat Yay or Nays.  The panel was torn!  But in the end Marie Dauncey and her poodle hair were rewarded with a Yay.  Although the curly powdered hair was very much in style, Marie's was very curiously styled for her portrait. I suppose it was all about the hat when she considered her outfit!  Now let's journey to Spain for our next hat selection

Vicente López paints the Duquessa de Nájera (1795) as she adds a hint of bold color to the otherwise subtle clothing pallet via her hat.  Yay or Nay?

[Prado]

Yay or Nay? Duchess of Alba

Bosoms were on everyone's mind when Robertine Tourteau showed off her casual ensemble. But was it too casual and not fashionable enough? According to our panel it was and Robertine was given a big Yay! It is time now to journey back to Spain, a country that hasn't had the best of luck in past Yay or Nays. But perhaps a little luck will be on their side today?


Francisco Goya paints "The White Duchess" (1795) in her gualle gown and dark coral accents. Yay or Nay?

[The Alba Collection]

Yay or Nay? Pauline Bonaparte

I certainly would not boast of being able to predict the outcomes of the weekly Nay or Yays. I was sure that María de las Nieves Fourdinier would not appeal to the masses but surprise, she was met with a strong Yay! This week let us rejoin an old friend.


Robert Lefevre paints Marie Pauline Bonaparte (1808) once again, this time without her breast showing, in her white and gray gown. Yay or Nay?

[Versailles]

Yay or Nay? Jean-Baptiste Belley

Oh dear, Mrs Loring was run out on a rail for her Nay of a gown.  But as Heidilea pointed out, perhaps it is Copley who should get the Nay since the dress was his creation, not a seamstress' of the homely Mrs Loring!  This week we will steer clear of any more fake dresses and homely Copley women and check out some French menswear.

Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson paints Jean-Baptiste Belley (1797) in his Convention member uniform to which he added some chic accessories.  Yay or Nay?

[Versailles]

Yay or Nay? Jean-Dominique Fabry Garat

Queen Charlotte wasn't a fan of Thomas Lawrence'sportrait and neither was our panel for the queen earned a Nay (and a whole lot of "mehs" as well) for her somber apparel.  I don't know about you but this judging of gowns is growing exhausting! I long for some menswear to pick apart. Ah, here is some!

Adèle Roman paints Jean-Dominique Fabry Garat (1804) in his high collared monotone khaki (or is it camel?) colored suit.  Yay or Nay?

[Boston Museum of Fine Arts]

Yay or Nay? María de las Nieves Fourdinier

Leave it Boswell to finally look decent and still be rejected by our panel. Johnson's companion had a few Yays in there but still achieved an overall Nay. Many people didn't agree with his sloppy buttoning or the odd choice of colors. I'm going to take another chance this week and throw out another person who went with complimentary colors.


Luis Paret y Alcázar paints María de las Nieves Fourdinier in her open gown of burnt red and sage satin. I wonder if she powdered that hair blonde... Yay or Nay?

[Museo del Prado]

Yay or Nay? Madame Le Couteulx de Molay

We came back from our Nay with a big Yay for Anna Karolina Orzelska . Not everyone was sold her accessories, but her dress was a big win.  I personally love the 18th century walking stick, and as someone pointed out, the accessory was a good match to Anna Karolina's personality. This week we're going to skip a few decades and land back into the 80's.

Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun paints Madame Le Couteulx de Molay (1788) in a black velvet reddingote and striped skirt.  Yay or Nay?

[Musée Nissim de Camondo]

Yay or Nay: Johann Joachim Winckelmann

The results are in and no one seemed amused by Pauline Bonaparte's daring exposée. She was met with a big Nay due to her mixing up of different century fashions and the age-old faux pas of: "no one wants to see that!" Perhaps we should look at some casual-wear, hmm? Let's check out some comfy lounge clothes, perfect for that cold weather that is upon us.


Anton Mengs paints art historian, Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1768) in a luxurious state of undress. Is he sacrificing fashion for comfort or combining the two elements successfully. Yay or Nay?

Yay or Nay? Maria Theresa

Mrs. Turner's midnight blue gown met with a Yay although accessorizing it with the pink and white ruff choker did raise many eyebrows.  This week we will get out of the Colonies and evaluate the fashion decisions of a queen, nay, empress...if we dare.

Martin van Meytens paints Empress Maria Theresa (1744) in pink and lace. Yay or Nay?

[Ghent Town Hall]

Yay or Nay? Elisabeth of Brunswick

For some, like myself, plaid will never die; my closet is just full of it in a every form and color. But sadly for Niel Gow, his plaid pants and matching socks were met with a Nay. In fairness, the results were split right down the middle; so it wasn't a landslide defeat. But perhaps the rustic look isn't to your liking? In that case let us return to our fancy-wear. Scratch that, we're going straight up Rococo!


Antoine Pesne paints the queen of Prussia (1739) in blue with pink bows. Yay or Nay?

[Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten]