Evening Dress – Spring 1836

A woman stands in an evening dress. She wears a narrow red floral wreath, long red dangling earrings, and a necklace and a bracelet that may be made of small red flowers or flower beads. Larger red flowers are placed in and around her bun. Her dress is off the shoulder with white ruffles around the neck. Her sleeves are short and puffed, but very full, drooping over and around the tight cuffs.

Large, white lapels, trimmed with three red stripes at the edges, come around and over her shoulders and cross at the waist underneath her sash. The top layer of her skirt is white with four red stripes edging the front and hem. She wears a pair of white ballet flats over white stockings. The woman stands in a room arranging a bouquet in a large urn or vase. The flowers are red, blue, and white with green leaves. The table is made from a slab of rock perched on a carved wooden leg, which stands on another slab of rock.

The table is in front of a very tall mirror which is reflecting part of the woman’s arm as she arranges the flowers. A white shawl decorated with pink flowers and pink fringe, is twisted up and laid across one end of the table. The backrest of a wooden chair with light grey-blue upholstery is seen behind the woman. On the right side of the plate is the carved end of a chaise lounge. A grey-brown blanket with a bright yellow tassel is draped over the end of the chaise and a blue shawl with a red, yellow, tan and blue pattern on the end, is laid across the middle.

The faint outline of a picture frame is indicated on the wall. The room has a pale, mint-green carpet. “April 1836” is written underneath the plate caption.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges