More Italian Renaissance with Sapphire

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones 2.0

So, when I do historical clothing sets, I’ve learned drawing two takes about the same amount of time as drawing one. Of course, the downside is that I always worry if I make a mistake then I’m likely to repeat it. I’m not 100% sure about the waist lines on these, but that’s okay.

The paper doll is wearing a shift with a gathered neckline which seems to be the style in Italy. It’s a lot more fitted than these would have been for layering reasons. There’s some debate from my research in what women wore under these gowns. There’s not a lot of evidence for stays, but there’s no way to get the smooth line shown on the bust in these portraits without some sort of support either built into the bodice or underneath the bodice. If you look closely at side of the pink gown, you’ll see there’s a fold between where the armpit meets the shoulder and that suggests there is something under the bodice; however, I have not been able to find any evidence on what that undergarment might have looked like.

Later, there’s this Venetian Woman with Moveable Skirt from the 1560s and there might be a set of stays there or it might be an artistic choice to continue the bodice after the skirt is lifted. It’s tough to know. I tend to think it’s likely stays, because the work is erotic art and there’s nothing erotic about a bodice (or is there?). When I do a Venetian set (and I plan to do that someday) I’ll use that as my base design I suspect. However, we’re not working on Venetian clothing today. Today, we are in Florence.

Both of these dresses are again based on portraits. Both sitters are probably from Florence, based on professional folk’s assessments of the paintings. Lucrezia Panciatichi, for example, was the wife of Bartolomeo Panciatichi, a Florentine humanist and politician. The other sitter there’s some debate over, but her clothing does look like that which was worn in Florence according to folks who know more about this than I do which isn’t I grant you a high standard at this point.

Despite the few small changes I might make to these in the future (and my annoyance that I couldn’t seem to track down a full length portrait to get skirt shapes right), I’m super proud that I did these despite feeling like I don’t “know enough” to do them well.

I will say that I want to do something later in the 1500s from Venice, as I mentioned, because the Venetians had these wild shoes called chopines which were platform shoes so high that women needed help walking in them. They’re so strange and I want to draw them, but I need to do more research on the clothing that would have gone with them. More research!

So, if you want to get to vote in my next paper doll content poll, join us on Patreon.

4 thoughts on “More Italian Renaissance with Sapphire”

  1. Wow! Rachel – you amaze me all the time!! I now have 2 huge binders of many / most / some of your beauties!!!!! I love the color! your unique style, the different color dolls, the detail, the artistry, the…. And I love your commentary, historical research and the pics of portraits you share!!! I’m a constant buyer on your etsy?? page and a member of your Patreon site. OK – I’m not obsessed with you so don’t get worried! Ha ha. 🙂

  2. They’re lovely, and I love the history you shared with it! I kind of enjoy hearing odd things missing from history. Makes me wonder what people won’t know about our daily lives in 200 years. I will say I’m impressed with the chopines though, wasn’t aware shoes could get more impractical than high heels
    Happy researching and thank you for all the dolls

    • Yeah, Chopines are one of my favorite bananas fashion history moments. Women literally needed servants to help them walk around in these shoes, which is also bananas.

Comments are closed.