Art Nouveau 1880s English Maiden
Written by Teresita Blanco (The Artsy Sister)
Here is a cute maiden in a fancy dress. The dress was inspired by Japanese prints. This was part of the sensibility of the art nouveau period. One can easy see the transition to dresses of the 1920s. The dresses became flat, and the feminine figure was no longer outline. Corsages were thrown away and now dresses had to be comfortable.
The dress became a flat canvas for illustrator to paint on. This was part of a new trend related to the patent wars of fashion designers. They were in the middle of trying to make a profit. Dresses were not protected by copyrights because everyone wore dresses. However, tapestries were protected. So, original patterns in dresses were protected. As such, the dress form became secondary.
