clothing art the visual culture of fashion 1600 1914

'Clothing Art is a culmination of the author's academic interests and the product of 40 years of writing, teaching and publishing. Ribeiro has led her field-the study of the history and portrayal of clothing-for decades and her comprehensive knowledge flowers here, not just as scholarly insight, but also through her understanding of clothing.'-Philippa Stockley, Country Life, February 2017. But Ribeiro's argument, sustained over many pages and built on an accumulation of detail and evidence, is worth taking the time to consider.'-Vanessa Friedman, New York Times Book Review 'Aileen Ribeiro's magisterial and beautifully designed new book proves that all representation of clothing in art carry meaning. It's easy to get lost among the references, not to mention the gorgeous imagery, and it's possible-and tempting-to dip in and out. Ribeiro may be a historian of dress, but she's also a cultural omnivore. 'One of broadest and most ambitious works. Sumptuously illustrated, Clothing Art also delves into the ways in which artists represent the clothes they depict in their work, approaches which range from photographic detail, through varying degrees of imaginative reality, to generalized drapery. Her narrative encompasses such themes as the ways in which clothing has helped to define the nation state how masquerade and dressing up were key subjects in art and life and how, while many artists found increasing inspiration in high fashion, others became involved in designing 'artistic' and reform dress. Aileen Ribeiro provides an illuminating account of the relationship between artists and clothing from the 17th century, when a more complex and sophisticated attitude to dress first appeared, to the early 20th century, when the boundaries between art and fashion became more fluid: haute couture could be seen as art, and art used textiles and clothes in highly imaginative ways.

This is the first book to explore in depth the fascinating points of contact between art and clothing, and in doing so it constructs a new and innovative history of dress in which the artist plays a central role. Artists have documented the ever-evolving trends in fashion, popularized certain styles of dress, and at times even designed fashions. An entirely new way of looking at the history of fashion through the eyes of artists There have always been important links between art and clothing.

Clothing art the visual culture of fashion 1600 1914