Fabric of vision. Dress and drapery in painting. Repr

Clothing appears in all forms of figurative painting, often taking up two thirds of a frame; yet it can often go unnoticed. Far more than a simple means of identifying the status or occupation of a figure, clothes and cloth are used creatively by artists to hint at ambiguities in character, adjust the emotional temperature, direct the eye or make subtle allusions. Drawing on works by artists over a period of six centuries, from Giotto to El Greco, Matisse to Cindy Sherman, the author reveals through paintings, fashion plates, photographs and film stills how drapery in art evolved from Renaissance extravagance to Neoclassical simplicity at the end of the 18th century, and has extended to infinite uses in all genres of Modern art. First published in 2002 to accompany an exhibition of the same name at the National Gallery, London, this beautifully illustrated - and beautifully written - book by pioneering art historian and critic Anne Hollander, is reissued with a new Foreword by Valerie Steele. As penetrating and insightful as when it was first published, it remains a must-read for today's generation of students and anyone with an interest in art and fashion. Clothing appears in all forms of figurative painting, often taking up two thirds of a frame; yet it can often go unnoticed. Far more than a simple means of identifying the status or occupation of a figure, clothes and cloth are used creatively by artists to hint at ambiguities in character, adjust the emotional temperature, direct the eye or make subtle allusions. Drawing on works by artists over a period of six centuries, from Giotto to El Greco, Matisse to Cindy Sherman, the author reveals through paintings, fashion plates, photographs and film stills how drapery in art evolved from Renaissance extravagance to Neoclassical simplicity at the end of the 18th century, and has extended to infinite uses in all genres of modern art. Written by pioneering art historian and critic Anne Hollander, this beautifully illustrated book is a must-read for students and anyone with an interest in art and fashion. "This book examines how artists have used clothing and drapery - real and imagined, sacred and secular - as elements in their paintings to give emphasis and emotional force to their figures." "Drawing on works by artists over a span of six centuries as well as fashion plates, photographs and film stills, the author shows how drapery in painting evolved in the period following the Renaissance, becoming ever more flamboyant and theatrical, before the revolution of taste at the end of the eighteenth century saw a return to Neoclassical ideals of simplicity in art and dress."--Jacket Machine generated contents note: I.Cloth of Honour -- II.Liberated Draperies -- III.Sensuality, Sanctity, Zeal -- IV.High Artifice -- V.Romantic Simplicity: Women -- VI.Romantic Simplicity: Men -- VII.Restraint and Display -- VIII.Nude and Mode -- IX.Woman as Dress -- X.Form and Feeling