DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19954#0025
COSTUME.
25
That is unquestionably the best dress which, while it
gracefully indicates;, but does not display, the form of the
sitter, is so general as to carry no date, and to be never
entirely out of fashion, and which is not overloaded with
ornament. It would generally be preferable to leave the
arrangement of the dress in a great measure to the taste
and selection of the painter, or at least to allow him to
give an opinion on the subject. There is a story, for
the truth of which we will not vouch, that a lady whose
husband had more money than taste, went to Sir Joshua
Reynolds to have her own portrait and that of her hus-
band painted. The lady inquired which were the most
expensive colours. Sir Joshua replied, Ultramarine and
Carmine. "Then," rejoined the lady, "I will be dressed
in Ultramarine, and my husband in Carmine." With
the present knowledge of art that pervades the wealthy
classes, the painter will not frequently have to encounter
strong contrasts of glaring colours; but as he will have
to treat coloured draperies, it may not be amiss to refer to
some of the pictures of Sir Joshua Reynolds and Vandyck,
in order to show their arrangement of colours.
It may, however, first be observed that it appears to
have been a general rule with Yandyck, Rubens, Rem-
brandt, Yelasquez, Murillo, Correggio, and other great
painters, to place white next the skins of women and
children. Sir Joshua was fond of dressing his figures of
25
That is unquestionably the best dress which, while it
gracefully indicates;, but does not display, the form of the
sitter, is so general as to carry no date, and to be never
entirely out of fashion, and which is not overloaded with
ornament. It would generally be preferable to leave the
arrangement of the dress in a great measure to the taste
and selection of the painter, or at least to allow him to
give an opinion on the subject. There is a story, for
the truth of which we will not vouch, that a lady whose
husband had more money than taste, went to Sir Joshua
Reynolds to have her own portrait and that of her hus-
band painted. The lady inquired which were the most
expensive colours. Sir Joshua replied, Ultramarine and
Carmine. "Then," rejoined the lady, "I will be dressed
in Ultramarine, and my husband in Carmine." With
the present knowledge of art that pervades the wealthy
classes, the painter will not frequently have to encounter
strong contrasts of glaring colours; but as he will have
to treat coloured draperies, it may not be amiss to refer to
some of the pictures of Sir Joshua Reynolds and Vandyck,
in order to show their arrangement of colours.
It may, however, first be observed that it appears to
have been a general rule with Yandyck, Rubens, Rem-
brandt, Yelasquez, Murillo, Correggio, and other great
painters, to place white next the skins of women and
children. Sir Joshua was fond of dressing his figures of