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Russian Ballet Dancer in a Syrian Costume
Here is a nice little Syrian Dancer. At least, this is what the Russians thought Syrian dancers looked like. This was part of the Japanesque and Orientalism trends that were common Place in Europe. Russians were caught in that trend. It was more visible in their ballets. Ballet is not a traditional dance of Russia. Now, ballets has become quite common place in Russia. This is not to say that Russians never bothered to do a little research. This is well noted in the head gear and outfit of the maiden. The colors chosen in the outfit were not made...
Portrait of Mrs. Sanchez
This is one of my early drawings from High School. This was my language art teacher Mrs. Sanchez. She wanted to be a singer, but had to settle for teaching. I used to always doodle in the side of my composition book. To manage the chaos, she gave me my first sketch pad, and first drawing pencil. I made that portrait on a slow day. I cannot say this meant much at the time, or even now. I was bored at school, and this was something to do. She was standing still a lot, looking at a movie or something,...
Art Nouveau 1880s English Maiden
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...
Spanish Princess 1780s
Here is a beautiful Spanish princess from the 1780s. During her time, the Spanish people where stuck in the 1500s. They still had to deal with the Inquisition. It was the final stronghold for that torturous institution. They where trying to hold onto that place with tooth and nail. Its hard trying to stay relevant. The rest of Europe was slowly entering the modern age. A good chunk no longer believed in witches and magic. As such, the Inquisition was no longer relevant. So, Spain was its final stronghold. This is well noted in this pretty outfit. Princesses were still...
Hindu maiden from the 1910s
The maiden is not really Hindu, rather her outfit is in mimicry of Hindu fashion. Europeans one day rediscovered Japan and India. They became enamored with the exoticism they perceived in both countries. One can always recognize Japanese influence in the lines. My maiden has line demarcations. Makeup too was influenced by Japan. Before then, all women were pasty faced weirdoes. Through movies, women started using makeup. Is funny if you think about it. Women in movies all had face in black and white. I am not a big fan of makeup. Well, this is easy to notice if you...