Download - Italian Renaissance Dress 1490-1580
Italian Renaissance Dress
1490-1580
Italian Renaissance Dress?
• The types of clothing worn by women in the city states and provinces of what is now considered Italy.
• I have chosen to focus on Venetian and Florentine – good chronology of images due to wealth of cities and prominence of the artists operating at this point in time e.g. Raphael, Bronzino, Titian, Tintoretto etc
• Have divided by decades which is very arbitrary but helps to provide an overview. Have not discussed variations of which there were many…
Layers of dress
• Chemise• Undergown• Often a partlet• Overgown
1490s - VenetianVittore Carpaccio, 1495: Meeting of the Betrothed Couple (detail)
Key features:- High waisted – sits under bust- Under dress and over dress – with the
overdress cut into a V at the front so the underdress is visible underneath. Some have a V at the back as well.
- Bodice sits on edge of shoulder or even off shoulder (see Durer image)
- Two part sleeves. Bottom half may be cut open in places to allow the chemise to ooze through. Chemise also visible at shoulder and elbow. Laced in place. Some one part ones as well
- Hair – big knot on top of head
1480-90s Florentine
Domenico Ghirlandaio: Resurrection of the Notary's Son
Domenico Ghirlandaio: Birth of the Virgin
1480-90s Florentine continued• Underdress is laced at the front with either a version of
ladder lacing or cross-laced. Is often seen worn by itself (or two dresses of a similar style are worn.)
• Bodice slightly lower than Venetian – natural waist• The overdress layer can be either quite loose or even
open down the sides or fitted to the bodice area.• Varieties of sleeves – two part, one part with gap at elbow
etc• Hair – bun at back and loose curls around the ears
popular. Some caps worn around head.• Some have sheer partlets around neck that come to a point at the front over dress.
1500s VenetianVittore Carpaccio, 1505: Two Venetian Courtesans • Similar idea to 1490s
– high waisted.• One part sleeves
open down outside laced at some points to show off chemise.
• Variation of colour between bodice and skirt. Vittore Carpaccio,
1502 - 07: The Departure of Ceyx
1500s Florentine• Bodice sits on
natural waist line• Use of guards –
often look to be velvet.
• ‘Wine bag’ sleeves• Sheer partlet
around shoulders – pinned over dress.
• Hair in hairnet hanging down back
Raphael: The Woman with the Unicorn, 1505
Raphael, c1506: Portrait of Maddalena DoniUnusual in buttons down front and guards
1510s Venetian• Waist has
dropped to natural waist level
• Large sleeves – some gather back in at wrist, others are open. Split the entire length of arm
• Scuffia – hair ‘bag’ often seen
Titian, 1511: Portrait of a Woman Known as La Schiavona Titian, 1511: Miracle of
the Newborn Child
1510s Florentine• Bodice similar
to 1500s.• More guards
on dress• Variety of
sleeves from large drapey ones to much more fitted. Still some ‘wine bags’ around.
Andrea del Sarto: Birth of the Virgin, 1513
1520s Venetian• Transitional.• Bodices have ladder
laced front with ties.
• Tight highly decorated undersleeves and large hanging oversleeves. Others loose then tight
• Rise of the balzo
Palma Vecchio, 1520s: Woman In Blue
Anon, 1520s: Portrait of a Lady
Bernardino Licinio, 1520s: Portrait of a Lady
Paris Bordone, 1520s: Venetian Lovers
1520s Florentine• Transitional• Waistlines move up• Early 1520s is a
continuation of 1510s fashion
• 1525 onwards moves into the style common in 1530s – similar to later 1520s Venetian
Bacchiacca, c 1520: The Preaching of St John the Baptist
Domenico Puligo, c 1520s: Portrait of a Lady
1530s Venetian• Bodices become
much more rigid.• Sleeves – puffy top
section – rest straight.
• Partlets worn over shoulders.
• Some front laced.• Change later (?) to
much slimmer sleeves – vestigial puff tops.
• More front lacing.
Bernadino Licinio, 1533: Portrait Of A Woman Bernadino Licinio,
1530s: Portrait of a Lady
1530s Florentine• High waisted
bodice – under bust.
• Two part sleeves – top half to elbow puffy, rest straight.
• High necked chemise
• Balzos!! But only small..
Ridolfo Ghirlandaio: Lucrezia Sommaria, 1530-1532
Agnolo Bronzino: A Daughter of Matteo Sofferoni, 1530-1532
1540s Venetian• Bodice much more
rigid and starts to finish further down the torso.
• Some front laced others not!
• Sleeves often straight, some puffs at top, some slashed.
• Partlets around neck, open at front
Unknown artist of the Venetian School, 1540s: Portrait of a Young Woman
Paris Bordone, 1545-50: Balia dei Medici
1540s Florentine• Bodices become rigid
and much longer.• Sleeves – gathered
puffs at top, rest straight and decorated with slashes.
• Partlet around neck. • Move to Eleanor of
Toledo dress towards end of decade
Agnolo Bronzino: Portrait of Lucrezia Pucci Panciatichi, 1540
Agnolo Bronzino: Portrait de la duchesse Eleonore
1550s Venetian• Bodice forms a
point at the front (sometimes back?)
• Some front laced• Sleeves often a
small panelled cap at the top with tight lower sleeve
• Partlet around neck – open at front.
Cesare Vecellio, Costume of Venetian women, 1550
Titian, 1553: Portrait Of A Lady In White
1550s Florentine (more like 1545 on)• Bodice sits lower
on body• Sleeves – 4
panelled joined together with buttons with fold at top. Or just with puff at top and braid spiralled down arm
• Hairnets – gold net. • Partlet over
shoulders
Agnolo Bronzino: Eleonora of Toledo with her son Giovanni de' Medici, 1550?
Tommaso Manzuoli, Elena Gaddi Quaratesi, 1550-55
1550s and 1560s Florentine – rise of the overdress/gown
• Could be fitted or loose.
• Worn with a sottana (petticoat bodies) or sometimes a doublet underneath
• The loose variety often had long sleeves with the fitted versions had cap sleeves with the undergown or doublet sleeves underneath
Florentine school, Eleanor of Toledo, 1557-8
Alessandro Allori, Isabella or Maria de Medici, 1555-8
1560s Venetian
• Still variations between front lacing and not.
• Start to see loose gowns appearing some with sleeves, some without
• Hair in bun at back of head sometimes with plaits.
Veronese, 1561: Detail from fresco Follower of Titian, 1560:
Emilia di Spilimbergo
1560s Florentine• Similar to 1550s.• Some bodices
lower still• One piece sleeve
which has 4 rows of braid down length of sleeves with cuttes in between.
• Distinctive braid placement
Jacopo Zucchi, Portait of a Woman, 1560-1565
Red dress from Pisa.
Other 1560s Florentine overgowns• A fondness
for high standing collars
• Usually worn over a sottana
• See a number with puffy sleeves
Allori, Maria de’ Medici?, 1560?
Florentine school, Portrait of a Woman, 1560?
1570s Venetian
• Similarities to 1560s but front lacing becomes wider
• Towards the end of the decade waistlines drop and standing collars become more common
Francesco Montemezzano, c1570s: Portrait of a Woman (possibly Picabella Pagliarani, wife of Giacomo Ragazzoni)
Andrea Michiel (Il Vicentino), 1574: Detail - Henry III Arriving at the Lido
1570s Florentine• Very similar to
1560s overgown combos
• Developing a liking for ‘clown collars’
• Doublet or sottana underneath
Workshop of Allori, Women of the Cini Family, 1577
Allori, Woman with dog, 1570?
1580s Venetian• Bodices sitting
lower at bust and torso
• Shoulder ruffs become more common
• Standing collars still popularDomenico Robusti, 1581-84:
Portrait of a Lady in White
Domenico Robusti, c1580s: Portrait of a Gentlewoman with her Daughter
1580s Florentine• Hanging over
sleeves become popular
• Undersleeves often white with gold trim
Allori, Bianca Cappello, 1580?
Allori, Portrait of a Woman, 1580s
Good website to view:
• Realm of Venus: http://realmofvenus.renaissanceitaly.net.
For all Venetian and Florentine up to 1540• Festive Attyre:http://festiveattyre.comFor Florentine 1490-1550• Anea Fileshttp://aneafiles.webs.com/renaissancegallery/tuscany.htmlFor Florentine but sadly pics are not captioned!!
• Purple Files:http://katerina.purplefiles.netTHL Katerina de Brescia’s website. Good articles• Mode historique:http://www.modehistorique.com/blog/?page_id=179Some lovely Italian gowns
Fabrics to look out for
• Velveteens• Brocades – try Spotlight• Silks – if you are lucky!• Canvas for interlining – try Kutwells• Lining – calico or linen