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Post date: Sep 19, 2017 5:24:45 AM
I first encountered an image of this dress (http://www.abcgallery.com/T/titian/titian108.html) when I was given a calendar several years back and fell in love with it. It was my goal to one day research and construct a similar dress.
I do not recall where I discovered the painting was done by Titian, but was glad to find it resides at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. It is my plan to make a journey there to get a better look at the painting.
My first thoughts are:
There are enameld pieces along the front closing of the overdress as well as on the short sleeves.
It buttons down the front with pearls.
The chemise appears to have gold bobbin lace edging the sleeves.
I reached out to Linda Learn (ska Maria Pieknepłótno, O.P.) asking her if she had further information. She said this might be a stock portrait. Below are examples of other image representing the stock nature of the portrait.
Further information provided by Linda:
Quote: “The identity of the sitter as Sultana Roxanna derives from the pointed, bejewelled headdress worn by the sitter in the Ringling Museum ’s example, of a type traditionally worn by the Sultan’s wife. It may also be relevant that Titian wrote to Philip II in 1552, indicating that he had painted a portrait of the ‘Queen of Persia’. However, the subsequent derivations of the picture suggest that the sitters were idealized depictions of women, and made in the studio to be sold to Titian’s large clientele.”
This picture is one of a bunch that was painted in the same style and done in Titian’s studio by the painters who worked there. Not necessarily all done by Titian. The one mentioned above (in the Ringling Museum ) was supposed to be the “Sultana Roxanna” because of the headdress. The picture you like is the “ Washington ” picture…in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC .
The picture I sent is evidently at the Philip Mould company available for sale. And another copy is in the Ernzt Museum in Budapest .
I guess what I meant is that this isn’t a real portrait but “a picture of a lady with an apple” and they’ve taken liberties with the clothing. This isn’t what you’d normally see a woman of the period wearing where anyone but the closest family members and servants would be seeing her. The fabric pattern on the Washington pic isn’t very visible but what I can see seems to have a ‘Persian” or middle eastern flavor . I haven’t’ seen loose hanging chemise sleeves like this, on outdoor wear, since Albrecht Durer’s lady on patens, and that was Venetian 1495….one reason why I think this is a picture of “undress”. The fabric looks like a silk satin with a print design or a very unusually soft silk brocade. What ever those things are on the borders , bezants or decorative buttons, they are about ¾” diameter. With this picture you can’t tell what the waist looks like at all.
There are no support undergarments at all…no corset, no petticotes, no hoops …another reason I think its “undress” in the bosom of the home. (although the Italians didn’t wear hoops.)
Note: The original link that Linda provided me no longer works, but it was http://www.philipmould.com/Search/WorksforSale.asp?CategoryID=3
On September 19, 2017 I came across the below image:
It again looks like the same model, and this is likely the portrait that Linda was referring to on Sultana Roxanna. More information on Ḫurrem Sulṭān can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurrem_Sultan.
Some blogs with articles on Turkish clothing include:
"Reinette", Turquerie in Portrait Painting
"Isabella's SCA pages", An Italian’s View of Turkish Women’s Clothing
There is a Facebook Group dedicated to Ottoman Clothing and Culture
Other sites with images
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Google Sites
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