What Isabella did today...

[isabelladangelo]

Well, my computer systems went down...again, today. so, rather than spin around in my chair all afternoon and bug various bosses about nothingness, I went downtown to pick up some stuff I was supposed to do last week. The bus (read van for the next couple of weeks) runs about ever 1:20 minutes. It only stays in one spot for 10 minutes. So once I got downtown I had a lot of time...a heck of a lot. So what was a little Italian girl to do but go eat at the national art gallery for lunch and happen to pass by some lovely Italian art on the way? ::insert evil grin here::

There is a wonderful exhibit downstairs filled with all sorts of savanrola chairs, tapistries, and coins. I drooled...a lot.

But what caught my eye was upstairs. Amazingly it's realm_of_venus's female portrait of the month! http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Angelo_Bronzino_059.jpg
I noticed something about it that is very intresting and hard to see via the net....there is a sheer, red, overdress. The crinkle part of the sleeve is really just the sheer overlay; not the red jacqaurd. The undersleeve is more like that of Eleanor of Toledo's sleeves with her gowns than a puffy sleeve.
The funny ruffled edge around the neckline isn't ruffled, it's a rolled hem! It's part of the sheer overlay. It's hard to see via the net; I know. If I hadn't seen it up close and personal today myself I wouldn't believe me either. The sleeve of the overdress stops about an inch before the wrist. The sleeves have gold embroidery on them to look like slashes; the undersleeves are not slashed.
If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

Comments

[florentinescot.livejournal.com]

this is a better copy than the wikimedia copy. Right now, I don't remember where I got it; I think I scanned this from "Virtue and Beauty: Leonardo's Ginevra de' Benci and Renaissance Portraits of Women"

http://epee.goldsword.com/sfarmer/SCA/Paintings/bronzino_LadyBoy.jpg

but I'd never noticed that sheer sleeve before!

It came across one of my lists yesterday (I think) about an exhibit about Italian Renaissance Women Artists -- is that going to be at the NGA? My computer crashed --- ooh, wait, lemme see ....

I loves my history .....
http://www.nmwa.org/museumShop/productdisplay.asp?prdid=846

You'll have to go. I want that book!

[isabelladangelo.livejournal.com]

I think I'm heading down to the NGA on Friday. I'd be happy to pick up the book for you.

That picture is so much better, thanks! You can see the sheer a bit; especially on the right shoulder at the "ruffled" part. On the left arm, the "shadow" surround the arm is really the sheer part. I've really only seen a couple of other gowns where there is clearly and overlay on top of the pretty jacquard/velvet/satin/ect base which is why I was so excited to see this one.

[florentinescot.livejournal.com]

OH, don't tempt me! I can't afford it right now, though. My bank account is negative as it is. *sigh*

A Real Job can't come soon enough!

[fabricdragon.livejournal.com]

i love Bronzino's work... next time you catch up with me i would LOVE to hear more about the dress, because you cannot see the sheer overlay in that pic at all

[isabelladangelo.livejournal.com]

It's really a neat painting up close. The picture florentinescot posted of it is a lot better for seeing the details. You can see the sheer part of the sleeve on the right shoulder. The left arm has a "shadow" which is really the sheer material overlay.