Robin, I think you are pushing this argument too far. There are too many women in this scene for them *all* to be attendants. What I see here is the custom of visiting the mother following delivery to congratulate her on a safe and happy outcome -- some of these ladies have just arrived, so they're not in a state of undress. In fact, I would expect them to be wearing their best on a visit of such ceremonial importance.
There is another image, IIRC in a museum in France (will provide reference later), showing Isabella and her ladies in similar gowns with a sort of loose sleeveless overgown, open down the front. Such an overgown would suggest that the gown with hoops on the outside is a fashionable garment and not something that is intended to be hidden. Suzanne > From: Robin Netherton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: June 10, 2008 9:12:35 PM CDT > To: Historical Costume <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [h-cost] Farthingale thoughts > Reply-To: Historical Costume <[email protected]> > <message trimmed> > Although this is another Biblical image, it does make me think that > perhaps the key is not simply real vs. biblical/historical/ > allegorical, but also the nature of the setting and the mood the > artist wanted to evoke. This appears to be a Birth of Mary image, > and the scene takes place in the confines of a lady's chamber, with > only other ladies in attendance. That's a circumstance where it > might make sense for upper-class women to be without their formal > overgowns. > > It may be that showing these women without overskirts reflects the > artist's intent to show the intimacy of the scene. If so, the style > might be "real," but that doesn't mean it would be considered > fashionable for women to have appeared in hoops without overskirts > on the street, or at dinner, or at church. > <trimmed again> > > --Robin _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
