Evening robe
(c. 1930)
Medium
silk (satin), glass (beads)
Measurements
132.0 cm (centre back) 95.5 cm (waist, flat)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM and Family through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, 2021
Gallery location
Mid 20th Century Paintings & Decorative Arts Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
Mariano Fortuny worked across fashion and textile design, painting, etching, photography and costume design, and was known for his finely pleated Delphos gowns inspired by Greek statuary. Fortuny’s garments were at the forefront of the early twentieth-century dress reform movement, as they were designed to drape over an un-corseted body. Fortuny’s designs also drew from non-Western silhouettes and aesthetics. This work, for example, features printed Coptic-inspired designs and Murano glass beads with a kimono-style sleeve.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Italy
Inscription
label, centre back neckline, woven in black on bronze silk: MARiANO / FORTUNY / VENISE (underlined)
Accession Number
2021.634
Department
International Fashion and Textiles