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Ferguson Corset Style

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My portrait is associated with the period style of the late Victorian era known as the Bustle Period. The name came from the skirt silhouette that was popular from 1870-1900. Industrialization was a major contribution to the spread of the bustle; along, with the adjusting of garments to fit the form. Though these developments, the Natural Form (Second Bustle Period) became prominent for a short time (this is the garment style seen in the picture above) and would eventually be a stepping stone to the end of bustles. The idea of rejection seen in garments and their counterparts, would also been seen in the arts. France was the epicenter of fashion and those who came would go to Paris for leisure; and visit the fashion houses of Worth, Paquin, …show more content…

By 1875, skirts were made narrow and close to the body, and accompanied by a bustle. As the skirts become narrow and flat in the front, more attention was placed on the waist and hips; therefore, a corset was needed to help mold the body. To guarantee a flat front, the corset was reinforced with whale bone, cording, or pieces of leather in order to prevent them from riding up or wrinkling. The technological invention of steam-molding and the “spoon busk,” help contribute to the style of the bustle. In 1873, the spoon busk was hailed as an important contribution to fashion because, unlike the previous corsets, it increased comfort, more health conscious, reduced bulges, and enhanced the …show more content…

My portrait, Madame Lerolle (1882), was of Madeleine Lerolle, a 26- year old wife of a fellow artist. Madame Lerolle and her husband Henry, who was also an impressionist artist, were popular in cultural circles in Paris and often entertained artists and musicians in their home. According to an article written by the Cleveland Museum of Art, the portrait is supposed to portray her in a traditional pose, standing behind a table decorated with a vase of flowers. The atmosphere is supposed to emphasize her youthful beauty and grace and the meaning between the flowers in the vase and those lying on the table are symbolic of nature’s idea of life and

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