Robe Parée
Original dress from the 18th century
Opera visits, court invitations, balls or diners – all of them required “great robe”. Less in the sense of measurement (though that could correspond, too), more in terms of lavishment and opulence, of highly visible cost and work intensity. Great robes have been the ultimate expression of the perfect art of dress manufacturers and the taste of their wearers.
Formal robes are not limited to one cut only, they could take various shapes. Our client decided for a “Robe parée”, that is to say a “Robe á la francaise parée” which means an “embellished francaise” – the court adapted Version of a simpler francaise.
The original we used is source of inspiration is part of the collection of the Historical Museum in Amsterdam, and is estimated to date back to 1785.
At this point we very much like to thank Ms Joyce Edwads, curator of the AHM, for the fruitful cooperation and the support in form of pictures and information regarding shape, material and position of the lace adornment!
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Following a close recherché in cooperation with Amsterdam, the dress was to be realised with luxurious silk zibeline in ivory and – in contrast to the original, but on particular request of the client – silver blue and dove. It is highlighted with silk organza and antique Valenciennes lace.
But first and foremost, it reveals a spectacular embroidery with almost inconceivable richness in detail. Blossom garlands entwine around stylized vases, ribbons frame pearl bouquets, geometrical ornaments made of bullion and silk threads interrupt the whole ensemble of leaves and flowers.
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Embroidery in detail
The form of embroidery is characteristic for the Louis Seize era – romantic, light, playful, almost sensually graceful, but yet not tastelessly flamboyant, much rather clear-cut in form and pattern.
One of the famous artists of that period is Jean Démosthème Dugourc (1749-1825), to whom the panneau design above is attributed. Dugourcs art started to flourish in 1784 already, when – after working as decoration- and costume designer at the opera – he was made draughtsman at the royal Garde-Meubles. Around 1790 he ran his own wallpaper company.
The handwriting of an artist usually is distinctive. As the kind of design matches the design of the dress embroidery one might venture the suggestion, that Dugourc was the creative spirit behind the draft for the robe parée.
panneau designed by Dugourc
Apart from that, there are some hints which allow the assumption, that the dress came from the celebrated workshop of Rose Bertin. A contemporary source describes an attire which was ordered by Madame du Barry: : "large puffed pleats all down the front in Italian gauze edged with big ruchings of cut crape, a garland of silver rope placed over the puffs each separated by bunches of golden wheat-ears and fastenings in catkins of blue stones mixed with white pearls and the petticoat was flounced with Italian gauze with a decoration of fringe, gold corn-ears, shells and silver ropes"
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This accurate report depicts a robe which significantly corresponds to the fashion tendency of the original robe parée, which underlines the thesis of it deriving from the same workshop.