Late Fifteenth Century Italian Gown
This green velvet dress is based on NOrthern Italian gowns that existed in the last quarter of the fifteenth century. It is cut in a circular shape and lined in a lightweight material. Cotton has been used in place of a costlier linen or taffeta. The neckline is rounded, trimmed with a relatively simple gold passimenterie, and the eyelets have been embroidered over. Brass eyelets have been attached and laced together with a fine green ribbon, very much like example #67 (Da Vinci's painting of Ginevra de'Benci.)The attached sleeves, green designs on white ground, are of a type of cut velvet, a material very typical of the period, in a design known as mullion. These sleeves are lined, and are laced together by a series of embroidered eyelets. A chemise is worn under the gown, and the chemise's sleeves can be seen under the gown's sleeves and lacing. Two good examples of these sleeves can be seen in example # 69 of an allegorical figure by Tura and in example #76 of the Virgin and Child, attributed to Verrocchio.
- Sources for documentation for this gown:
- Fashions of the Fifteenth Century
- Textile and Designs
- The Library of Design Classic Textile Designs. Auberville, M. Duppont. Portland House. New York 1989.
- Additional Sources:
- Vecellid's Renaissance Costume Book. Vecellio. Cesare. Dover Publications. 1977.
| Three of many historical images used to document the design of this gown. | ||
|---|---|---|
 Leonardo Da Vinci Ginevra de' Benci National Gallery, Washington |  Tura An allegorical figure National Gallery, London |  Verrocchio (Studio) Virgin and Child State Museum, Berlin |