'Evening Costume', May 1826
11 of 125 portraits matching these criteria:
- subject matching 'Fashion Plates: Trimmings and ornamentation - Bows; noeuds; coques; rosettes; choux'
© National Portrait Gallery, London
'Evening Costume', May 1826
probably by William Read, published by George Byrom Whittaker, published in La Belle Assemblée or Bell's Court and Fashionable Magazine
hand-coloured etching and stipple engraving, published 1 May 1826
8 1/2 in. x 5 1/4 in. (215 mm x 133 mm) paper size
Acquired, 1930
Reference Collection
NPG D47579
Artistsback to top
- La Belle Assemblée or Bell's Court and Fashionable Magazine (1806-1832), Magazine. Artist or producer associated with 58 portraits.
- William Read (active 1824-1837), Engraver. Artist or producer associated with 30 portraits.
- George Byrom Whittaker (1793-1847), Publisher and bookseller. Artist or producer associated with 26 portraits.
This portraitback to top
Described in the issue for May 1826:
Over a white satin slip, a dress of tulle, with a very full buffont puckering round the border, forming two rows. The fulness of these rich ornaments is confined by straps of satin, placed in bias at equal distances. The waist is à la Suisse, and is laced down the front with silk cordon. The sleeves are short, from the shoulder to rather more than the middle of the arm above the elbow: they are formed of two rows of puckering, exactly corresponding with the ornaments at the border of the skirt, and confined by the same kind of satin straps. From these short sleeves depend the long ones; which are of tulle, with bows down the visible part of the inside of the arm, and they terminate at the wrists by old English points of white satin. The shoulders are ornamented with clusters of bows formed of white satin ribbon, and the gown is made of a proper, yet quite decorous lowness round the bust for full dress. The hair is arranged in very full curls on each side of the face, and parted on the forehead. A French béret turban of white crape and satin, with a full plume of white feathers on the side that is elevated; on the other side, that covers the hair, are two very small white feathers. The necklace is formed of several rows of pearls, twisted; the ear-pendants are of superb pear pearls.
Subjects & Themesback to top
- Fashion Plates: Activities and occasions - Evening dress
- Fashion Plates: Dresses - Slips
- Fashion Plates: Fabrics - Satin
- Fashion Plates: Fabrics - Tulle
- Fashion Plates: Headwear - Berets; beret turbans
- Fashion Plates: Influences - Turkish influence
- Fashion Plates: Sleeves and cuffs - Over-sleeves
- Fashion Plates: Trimmings and ornamentation - Bows; noeuds; coques; rosettes; choux
- Fashion Plates: Trimmings and ornamentation - Vandyking
- Hats and head attire
- Jewellery - Pearls
- Vases, pots and urns
Events of 1826back to top
Current affairs
Riots break out in Lancashire against the use of the power loom, invented by Edmund Cartwright. The looms were gradually being introduced across the country, replacing large numbers of manual workers.Art and science
Thomas Telford's Menai Straits and Conway Suspension Bridges open, the largest of their kind at the time.International
Carl Weber arrives to live in England after his opera Der Freischutz is the hit of the London season.Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.