Art and Museums

"Under the reign of Louis XIV, fashion, in particular the manner of dress, follows the court. The French change style every day. Foreigners follow French fashion with the exception of the Spanish, who never change their style."

— French scholar Antoine Furetière (1619–1688) in his Dictionnaire Universel

Fashion Illustration at Court in the 17th Century is part of Images of Fashion from the Court of Louis XIV, an exhibition online from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art:

"Information about the lifestyle at Versailles was disseminated by visitors, through letters and journals, and most commonly through single-sheet engravings of fashionably dressed courtiers, widely distributed with the encouragement of the crown. One hundred ninety of these engravings are collected in Recueil des modes de la cour de France (Collection of fashions from the court of France), the centerpiece of this exhibition. Such images from the late 1600s are generally accepted as the genesis of our modern concept of fashion and fashion illustration. They featured the latest apparel, worn with elegance by French courtiers, who were the celebrity trendsetters of their time."

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"For confirmation of our love and friendship, I desire your Majesty to command your merchants to bring in their ships of all sorts of rarities and rich goods fit for my palace"

— The Great Moghul Jahangir: Letter to James I, King of England, 1617 A.D.

An exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London displays numerous photographs of maharaja's palaces :

"The word maharaja, literally ‘great king’, conjures up a vision of splendour and magnificence. The image of a turbaned, bejewelled ruler with absolute authority and immense wealth is pervasive and evocative, but it fails to do justice to his role in the cultural and political history of India. Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts re-examines the world of the maharajas and their extraordinarily rich culture."

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While women of  brilliance in 'the colonies' might not had the opportunity to form a similar group to England's Bluestockings at that same period, it does not keep us from an interest in these, the women depicted in  the National Portrait Gallery exhibition  in London. These women,  we've been told, were only imitating similar women in French society!

"The exhibition begins by introducing the fashionable Bluestocking Circle and exploring how a tight-knit group of women became a model for rational 'Enlightenment' forms of sociability. The Bluestockings met in the London homes of the fashionable hostesses Elizabeth Montagu (1718-1800), Elizabeth Vesey (c.1715-91) and Frances Boscawen (1719-1805) from the 1750s. Together these women, and the eminent men who supported their endeavours, invented a new kind of informal sociability and nurtured a sense of intellectual community and potential. Guests included the leading literary, political and cultural figures of the day, including the scholar and classical translator Elizabeth Carter (1717-1806), the critic and writer Samuel Johnson (1709-84), the artists Frances Reynolds (1729-1807) and her brother Sir Joshua (1723-92), the novelist Fanny Burney (1752-1840) and the writer and dramatist Hannah More (1745-1833). They got their comical name  —  'Bluestockings'  —  when another guest, the botanist Benjamin Stillingfleet (1702-71), was welcomed at one of Elizabeth Montagu's salons even though he had arrived absent-mindedly wearing the blue woollen stockings normally worn by working men, instead of the more formal white silk."

For example, Elizabeth Carter:  "Encouraged by her father, a clergyman, to study, Carter applied herself with such perseverance that she became one of the most learned Englishwoman of her time, being mistress of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic, besides several modern European languages. She rendered into English De Crousaz'sExamen de l'essai de Monsieur Pope sur l'homme (1739); Algarotti's Newtonianismo per le Donne; the works of Epictetus (1758) and wrote a volume of poems. An icon of virtue and learning, Carter was later sought out by aspiring women writers, including the literary critic Elizabeth Montagu, with whom she developed a lifelong friendship and helped to establish the Bluestocking Circle."

The section titled A Revolution in Female Manners continues:  "With greater restrictions imposed on personal freedom, the final section of the exhibition considers the changing fortunes of the intellectual and creative woman.  A Revolution in Female Manners explores the rise and fall of two writers — the republican historian Catharine Macaulay and the early 'feminist' Mary Wollstonecraft. Both held radical beliefs, greeted the French Revolution with enthusiasm and spoke out for women's rights. But their troubled reputations were due not only to their uncompromising politics, but also to their rejection of traditional female behaviour, especially in their liberal attitudes, publicly-voiced political opinions and unconventional sexual lives. But the contemporary moral climate saw new limits placed on female self-expression and the traditionally demarcated roles of the sexes were emphasised once again."

We haven't had a chance to go to the Greenwich Maritime Museum in a suburb of  London but the shop provides a glimpse into the exhibits and holdings. The shop displays, for instance a solar compass:  "The nautical compass was used in the 16th century and was of critical importance in navigation and cartography. It is both a compass and sundial and can tell the time straightaway."

(Editor's Note: Don't be discouraged by the fact that, after clicking on the images, that little of the object is seen; just click again in the seemingly vacant space! We also have ordered clothes for our grandchildren many times  from Mini Boden and small packages come quickly.)

"The Astro-Disk is a stylish and informative guide to the stars and constellations. View the night time sky at any time of night, any night of the year, simply by matching the time and date on the two disks. This spectacular working model of the heavens includes a finely detailed star disk and an overlay horizon disk."

Ruth Belville,  The Greenwich Time Lady in paperback : "Using a pocket watch named 'Arnold’, the Belville family provided Greenwich Time to paying customers across London. Ruth, the last of the time-sellers, finally retired in her 80s, in 1939, bringing to a close a remarkable episode in the history of timekeeping and of London life."

For a truly unique gift, adopt a penguin and receive a gift tin with the following:  After registration you will receive: •A personalised certificate displaying your name and your penguin’s name •A colour photograph of your chosen penguin •A complimentary ticket valid for any SEA LIFE centre.

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