Ball dresses, March 1842

© National Portrait Gallery, London

 Like voting
is closed

Thanks for Liking

Please Like other favourites!
If they inspire you please support our work.

Buy a print Buy a greetings card Make a donation

Ball dresses, March 1842

published by Dobbs & Co, published in The Court Magazine and Monthly Critic and Lady's Magazine and Museum, first published in Le Follet, Courrier des Salons, Journal des Modes
hand-coloured etching, line and stipple engraving, published March 1842
8 in. x 5 7/8 in. (203 mm x 149 mm) paper size
Acquired, 1930
Reference Collection
NPG D47889

Artistsback to top

This portraitback to top

Described in the magazine:
Dress of India muslin worn over pink satin. The corsage is low, and what is usually termed à l'enfant in regular gathers across both front and back with three bouillons of the material of the dress round the bosom. The sleeves which are very short, are tight and plain, with the exception of the bouillons at bottom, corresponding with those on the bosom of the dress. The skirt has three deep tucks at bottom including the hem, which tucks are ornamented with rosettes or, as they are called in France, Choux, composed of pink satin. There are five of them on the bottom of the dress, one on the upper, two on the second, and two on the lower tuck. Two choux likewise ornament the sleeves, and another forms a bow to the ceinture, which fastens in front, and from which depend two long ends. These trimmings are much more fashionable just now in Paris than simple bows or noeuds. The front hair is brought very low to the sides of the head, where it falls in thick masses of ringlets as low as the neck. It is interspersed with roses, and a gold feronière goes round the head. Half long white kid gloves, gold bracelets above them, on the arms, white satin shoes, silk stockings, bouquet.
Second Figure - Dress of white gaze crystal, with low corsage and short sleeves, the front of the skirt ornamented with three bouquets of blue flowers, with two ends of satin ribbon, forming as it were the stems of each bouquet. Sortie de Bal of blue satin, wadded and lined with amber satin, and trimmed all round with ermine, and a falling collar of the same. It is tied at the neck with a blue silk cordelière, and similar cords and tassels of a smaller description loop up the sleeves in front of the arm. Front hair in full clusters of long ringlets, intermixed with blue flowers; the back hair in bows and braids, but dressed very low at back, with a richly ornamented high-backed comb, white kid gloves, white satin shoes, fan.

Portrait setback to top

Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1842back to top

Current affairs

Edwin Chadwick publishes his damning report, Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Poor, which details the shocking living conditions of the urban poor and prompts government to take a new interest in public health issues.
A year-long depression and the rejection of the Chartist petition leads to riots, with workers striking in the Midlands, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and parts of Scotland.

Art and science

Mudie's Lending Library opens, becoming one of the largest circulating libraries in the period. Made popular by the otherwise high cost of books, it exerts a great influence over literature; both by maintaining the more costly 'three decker' novel structure, and acting as moral censor.
Richard Owen, the English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist, coins the term 'dinosaur', combining the Greek words for 'formidable' and 'reptile'.

International

Treaty of Nanjing, which allows China to trade with Britain and lends Hong Kong to the British crown for 150 years. In Afghanistan, the Anglo-Afghan war ends as the British abandon Kabul, withdrawing to India and losing most of their garrison force in the operation with only one member, Dr William Brydon, surviving.

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.