So, I visited the National Gallery of Art and was able to takes some close up photos of Claudia Quinta, painted by Neroccio de' Landi, a Sienese painter around 1490.
Visit the museum's digitized image here. My photos are below. When we first begin reenacting Medieval or Renaissance personas, we often turn to McCall’s or Simplicity for your first patterns to create clothes. Most of these patterns are created with modern mentalities about cut and fit. So, they simply don’t quite give you that look that you are trying to create. This was a frustration to me. I looked at the very few extant garments in museums and realized that the seams are in different places when compared to our modern garments. If I want a period looking garment, then I must create a period like pattern.
Thus, began a quest to find an Italian pattern book from the period. Uhm,…. No. They don’t exist. WHAT! Let me qualify that statement (like a scientist). We have no evidence or example of a period Italian pattern book to date. (I will certainly talk about why in another post, but now on to the point.) So, my experimentation has lead me to what I believe is a reasonable to conclusion as to how a period pattern may be constructed. To create our Renaissance sleeve pattern, I will take you through the process I followed to get there. We will learn how the basic modern sleeve is drafted and then we will modify it for the Renaissance sleeve pattern. 1. Take measurements. _____shoulder to wrist (outside of arm) _____elbow to wrist _____wrist to armpit _____around hand _____Around elbow _____Around bicep We begin with an overview of when, where, and who for the background for our Princess'es clothing. Later posts will be made about the individual elements of the wardrobe, i.e. gown, sleeve, overgown, headdress, fabric choices, and headdress. Our Princess took her inspiration for her persona from Leonardo da Vinci's portrait of the Lady with the Ermine which was made at the court of Milan depicting Cecilia Gallerani, who was the mistress of Duke Ludovico Sforza. French Engineer Pascal Cotta developed a light refraction technique that allows for the removal of the ermine to reveal the dress underneath the animal, which was added to the portrait. (For more information about this scientific advancement, please see the link below.) When we view Cecilia's outfit without the ermine, we see a typical gown of the period with velvet banding around the neckline and gold embroidery for embellishment. The two part sleeves are connected with black ribbon ties. Through the ties in the dress we can see a white chemise. About her neck she wears a necklace of some type of black beads. Her hair is dressed in a style characteristic of the period as well. Hair parted in the middle and drawn back into a long tube referred to as a coazzone with cap on the back of the head. The cap is held in place with a ribbon tied around the head. Over this headdress is a tightly bound veil so shear as to be nearly translucent. At her right shoulder and loosely draped is a blue overgown lined in gold. Below are other portraits painted at the same time in Milan. The wardrobe of the time period also included an overdress cut in a style to suit the wearer.
Here is another look at an overgown detail. The fabric a rich brocade revealing the gown underneath. More to come. Please note: All portraits or portions displayed on this blog are public domain images and no copyright infringement is intended.We have had good news in Trimaris. The Kingdom of Trimaris has a new Italian princess. What is a noble Italian lady to do, but sew for the new princess. This page will be a dress diary dedicated to the items created for our Her Highness, Cecelia d'Este, Princess of Trimaris.
When sewing for another person, one must make sure that you are meeting the desires of the wearer and meeting your own personal standard of quality clothes making. I hope I can do both for Her Highness. During our first meeting, the Princess expressed interest in the clothing from the portraits of d'Vinci and said that red was her favorite color. Her Highness also expressed concern about the heat of the Florida weather with regard to comfort in her clothes. Since Her Highness will be Princess during the winter and Queen during the spring/summer with a trip to Pennsic in her future, clothing must be serviceable, layerable, and fabulous. Bella figura, on the way! For our next meeting, I will take measurements and provide photographs and drawings to begin planning a wardrobe for Her Highness. As designs are approved by Her Highness, I will post information about dress patterns and creation here so that any who are interested in dressing to make may have a guide. |
Baroness Franca DonatoVandy Pacetti-Tune is a milliner, costumer, illuminator and calligrapher, and researcher who is interested in all that is the Italian Renaissance. A true Florida Native originally from Saint Augustine, she now calls Auburndale, Florida her home. Vandy is known in the Society for Creative Anachronism as Baronessa Franca Donato and resides in the Shire of the Ruins in the Kingdom of Trimaris. Archives
August 2015
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