Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Window fashions for March 1819

Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Loretta reports:

It’s been a while since I’ve offered Regency era interior design examples.  Here’s what fashionable windows were wearing in March 1819.

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FASHIONABLE FURNITURE.
PLATE 15.—DRAWING-ROOM WINDOW-CURTAIN AND JARDINIERE

This suite of draperies is adapted to a bow-window with considerable taste and elegance; they are fancifully suspended from carved devices, relating to vintage and the splendour of the year; indicative of which, the central ornament is a golden peacock, whose displayed plumage being delicately coloured in parts, so as to imitate the richness of its nature, the effect is considerably increased.

The swags are arranged with an easy lightness, and the festoons with unusual variety of size and form; they are composed of light blue silk, and lined with pink taffeta.

The jardinière forms a proper ornament for such a situation, and is rendered particularly interesting by a font of gold and silver fish, and by a small aviary for choice singing birds: the style is French, and the article similar in design to those executed at Paris under the direction of Mons. Percier, the architect.

We are indebted for the materials of the annexed plate to the liberality of Mr. John Stafford, an eminent upholsterer at Bath.
Ackermann's Repository, March 1819

3 comments:

Jane O said...

I can't help feeling sorry for the housemaids who had to keep all this intricate carving clean. And with coal fires, no less!

Donna Hatch, Romance Author said...

Absolutely beautiful! I sooo should have been born a member of the aristocracy in Regency England! Okay, the center peacock may have been a bit over the top, but the overall effect is absolutely lovely.

Joseph Hisey said...

I think you will find the "peacock" is a reference to the continued interest in the ancient "greek" world. This would be a reference to the goddess Juno. An appropriate symbol for a domestic interior. Brighton Pavilion would have been strongly influential in drapery design at this time. Particularly with the copious use of fabric loosely draped and appearing unstructured, which it technically is not.

 
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