helwen: (Default)
helwen ([personal profile] helwen) wrote2009-12-02 11:04 pm
Entry tags:

1495 Dress Question

Hey, thought I might "borrow" some other folks' eyes.... does it look like This woman is wearing a scoopnecked/oval chemise?

[identity profile] lauradi7.livejournal.com 2009-12-03 04:10 am (UTC)(link)
Well, to me it looks like she's wearing the same shirt as this woman
http://business.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Image:Women%27s_Business_Suits.JPG
but in white. A chemise is more likely, though.

[identity profile] helwen.livejournal.com 2009-12-03 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks. Islenskr posted a better copy of the painting (see comments below at my LJ). Sadly, there doesn't appear to be a scoopneck chemise there.

[identity profile] freya46.livejournal.com 2009-12-03 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
I can't tell if it's a chemise or just a lighter shading.

[identity profile] chrisilin.livejournal.com 2009-12-03 07:47 am (UTC)(link)
there is a bit of an oval at the base of the neck in lighter shading, suggestive of an oval chemise of some sort.

No chemise

[identity profile] islenskr.livejournal.com 2009-12-03 11:36 am (UTC)(link)
The pixellation in this pictures makes it unclear, but I'd say no, there is no chemise showing. Here is a good link to that painting:

http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/european_paintings/the_crucifixion_gerard_david/objectview_zoom.aspx?page=18&sort=0&sortdir=asc&keyword=&fp=1&dd1=11&dd2=0&vw=1&collID=11&OID=110000536&vT=1

On that page you can zoom in close enough to see the cracks in the pigment - and you can also see that there is no chemise showing on that figure. If there were, the white of the chemise would match the white used on the Christ's loincloth and the woman's headdress on the left.

If that link doesn't work for you, you can go here:
http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/european_paintings/listview.aspx?page=1&sort=0&sortdir=asc&keyword=the%20crucifixion%20gerard%20david&fp=1&dd1=11&dd2=0&vw=1

And if that link doesn't work, go to:
http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/collection_database/
and search there for "The Crucifixion David, Gerard"

Good luck!

Re: No chemise

[identity profile] helwen.livejournal.com 2009-12-03 08:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks for the links -- much better quality on the closeups!

I was kind of hoping for it to be scoop neck, but it's obviously a light reflection here. The colors over at the uvm.edu site seem to have been brightened somewhat, washing out the subtlety of Gerard's work.

So, my neckline for my chemise is wrong (too high), and will remain so this weekend, as I really don't have time to do anything about it. Oh well, next time. Although maybe I could make it deep enough to not show at all.... hm....

Thanks again!

Re: No chemise

[identity profile] mizpagan.livejournal.com 2009-12-03 11:49 pm (UTC)(link)
I can bring a David book to Yule if you want to look at it for more ideas. The chemise isn't showing.

Re: No chemise

[identity profile] helwen.livejournal.com 2009-12-04 05:10 am (UTC)(link)
That would be cool, thanks! Meantime, I'm re-doing the neckline on one of my chemises in a deep scoop so that hopefully it won't show. Don't have time to do two of them though, I don't think, so Cynthia will have to make do.