'Evening Dress', April 1827
© National Portrait Gallery, London
'Evening Dress', April 1827
by William Read, published by George Byrom Whittaker, published in La Belle Assemblée or Bell's Court and Fashionable Magazine
hand-coloured etching, published 1 April 1827
8 1/2 in. x 5 3/8 in. (216 mm x 135 mm) plate size
Acquired, 1930
Reference Collection
NPG D47595
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 April 1827:
A Dress of violet-coloured satin, with a broad white satin border, over which is a very full and broad flounce of black blond. The skirt is finished down the front in the Bavarian style, with straps across of gold lace. These extend from the waist, downwards, as low as to the top of the flounce, which is headed by a cordon of gold. The body made quite plain, to fit the shape, with a falling tucker of black blond. Long, full sleeves of white tulle, surmounted by very plain and wide short sleeves of violet satin. Head-dress composed of a very full plumage of white feathers, so grouped, as to have the appearance of a turban with a gold bandeau and ornaments. Necklace of large gold beads, in three drop-rows. Ear-rings of gold, and very broad gold bracelets, fastened with a cameo.
Subjects & Themesback to top
- Fans
- Fashion Plates: Accessories - Jewellery - Cameos
- Fashion Plates: Activities and occasions - Evening dress
- Fashion Plates: Dresses - Bavarian pelisse-robes
- Fashion Plates: Fabrics - Satin
- Fashion Plates: Fabrics - Tulle
- Fashion Plates: Headwear - Bandeaux
- Fashion Plates: Headwear - Ostrich feathers
- Fashion Plates: Lace - Blonde; blond
- Fashion Plates: Neckwear - Falling tuckers
- Fashion Plates: Sleeves and cuffs - Gigot sleeves; leg-of-mutton sleeves
- Fashion Plates: Trimmings and ornamentation - Lace
- From behind
- Jewellery - Bangles and bracelets
- Jewellery - Pendants and necklaces
Events of 1827back to top
Current affairs
Lord Liverpool suffers a stroke and is forced to resign as Prime Minister. George Canning succeeds him only to die after four months in office.Art and science
University College London, the first metropolitan university in England, is founded specifically to educate dissenters excluded from Oxford and Cambridge. Whig politician Henry Brougham, writer Thomas Campbell and financier and philanthropist Isaac Goldsmid are its principal patrons.International
Britain, France and Russia sign a treaty in London agreeing to intervene in the Greek War of Independence. Allied troops under General Edward Codrington subsequently destroy Turkish and Egyptian fleets at the Battle of Navarino.Western Australia is explored for the first time by Captain Stirling.
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.