The age of undress
about: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/320126563
about: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/320130447
about: DefinedTerm
  alternate name: Women's clothing
about: DefinedTerm
  alternate name: Clothing and dress
about: DefinedTerm
  alternate name: Women's clothing--Europe--History--18th century
about: DefinedTerm
  alternate name: Fashion and art
abstract: The Age of Undress explores the emergence and meaning of neoclassical dress in the 1790s, tracing its evolution from Naples to London and Paris over the course of a single decade. The neoclassical style of clothing - often referred to as robe à la grecque, empire style, or "undress" - is marked by a sheer, white, high-waisted muslin dress worn with minimal undergarments, often accessorized with a cashmere shawl. This style represented a dramatic departure from that of previous decades and was short lived: by the 1820s, corsets, silks, and hoop skirts were back in fashion. Amelia Rauser investigates this sudden transformation and argues that women styled themselves as living statues, artworks come to life, an aesthetic and philosophical choice intertwined with the experiments and innovations of artists working in other media during the same period. Although neoclassicism is often considered a cold, rational, and masculine movement, Rauser's analysis shows that it was actually deeply passionate, with women at its core - as ideals and allegories, as artistic agents, and as important patrons.
author: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/31094006
creator: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/31094006
language: eng
temporal coverage: 1790-1799
work example: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/301302859
type: CreativeWork

PropertyValue
property ID: NL-AmRIJ
value: 302859