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A Rainbow of Ninon Inspiration

It’s Pride Month!

Well, at least in most of the world. New Zealand celebrates pride in February, March, April, and starting June/July to cooincide with Matariki: the Māori New Year.

I firmly believe that it is everyone’s fundamental human right to be able to safely love, live with, and marry any consenting adult who feels the same way about them, and that it is everyone’s fundamental human right to be safely and respectfully acknowledged as the gender they identify with, legally and socially.

And I also think that clothes are clothes! They don’t have gender. Wear the clothes that make you happy, whatever they are!

To celebrate Pride, here’s a rainbow of Ninon Bodice inspiration. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🩷

And a little easter egg… 😜

Red

Portrait of Josina Parduyn (1642-1718) 1668, Caspar Netscher

Caspar Netscher, Portrait of a Woman; ca. 1665, Glasgow Museums, http://www.artuk.org/artworks/portrait-of-a-woman-85503

Caspar Netscher, Portrait of a Woman; 1671, Glasgow Museums, http://www.artuk.org/artworks/portrait-of-a-woman-85503

Adriaen Hanneman, Portrait of Amalia von Hesse-Kassel 1656

Princess Eleonore of Palatinate-Neuburg, the later Empress of Austria, 1670s

Willem van Honthorst, Albertina Agnes van Nassau, 1653

Caspar Netscher (attr); Portrait of an Unknown Lady with a Lamb and a Terracotta Group; National Trust, Ascott; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/portrait-of-an-unknown-lady-with-a-lamb-and-a-terracotta-group-216767

Caspar Netscher (attr); Portrait of an Unknown Lady with a Lamb and a Terracotta Group; ca. 1670, National Trust, Ascott; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/portrait-of-an-unknown-lady-with-a-lamb-and-a-terracotta-group-216767

Orange

Jacob Ferdinand Voet, Portrait of Pietro Banchieri dressed as a ‘belle’, 1671

Sir Peter Lely, c Margaret Brooke, Lady Denham, a. 1664, (Sheffield Museums)

Sir Peter Lely, Margaret Brooke, Lady Denham, a. 1664, (Sheffield Museums)

Cornelius Johnson (1593-1661), Portrait of an Unknown Lady; 1659, Tate; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/unknown-lady-199531

Sir Peter Lely, Elizabeth Wriothesley, Countess of Northumberland, 1662, (c) National Trust, Petworth House; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

Antonio Triva, Portrait of Princess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy (1636-1676), wife of Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria (1636-1679), ca. 1660

Samuel van Hoogstraten, Possible portrait of Anne Conway (detail)

British School, 18th Century, Woman Resting Arm on a Pillow, c1650

Yellow

Jan Mijtens (The Hague c. 1614-1670), Portrait of Henriette Catherina van Oranje-Nassau (1637-1708), small three-quarter-length, in a yellow dress at a fountain with a spaniel | Christie’s

Circle of Gerrit van Honthorst, Portrait of a girl, traditionally identified as Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (1631–1660) ca. 1660

Portrait possibly of Madame de Hautefort (1616 – 1691), ca 1650

Portrait of Maria Antonia of Austria, ca. 1670

Portrait of Maria Antonia of Austria, ca. 1665

Sir Peter Lely, Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham ca 1670

Green

Jacob Ferdinand Voet, Portrait of Maria Ortensia Biscia del Drago late 1670s

John Michael Wright (1617 – 1694) A portrait of Lady Herries, ca. 1665

1670 British (Scottish) School, Portrait of Margaret Erskine, National Trust for Scotland, House of Dun c1670

Portrait of Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Duchess of Orléans (1652-1722), Duchess of Orléans c1675

Bartholomeus van der Helst, Portrait of Sophia Coymans, ca. 1660

Blue & Indigo

Abraham van den Tempel, Portrait of a Young Woman, 1666, Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel,

Sir Peter Lely, Portrait of Dudleia Cullum, née North, Lady Cullum, circa 1670. Courtesy of the collections of the St Edmundsbury Museums

Abraham van den Tempel, Portrait of Jacquemijna Le Pla, circa 1666

L. Schunemann – Portrait of a young Lady in blue dress, probably Hedvig Eleonora later Queen of Sweden 1666

Attributed to Charles Beaubrun, Portrait of a Lady called Jeanne de Marign, 1660

Jan Mijtens, Portrait of a Lady as Diana, ca 1660

Sir Peter Lely, Portrait of a Lady in Blue holding a Flower, ca 1660

Isaack Luttichuy, Portrait of a woman, possibly Susanna Reael (d 1662), 1656

Caspar Netscher; Portrait of a Lady Playing a Viola da Gamba; National Trust, Hatchlands; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/portrait-of-a-lady-playing-a-viola-da-gamba-217293

Violet & Pink

Portrait of Anne-Geneviève de Bourbon (1619-1679), wife of Henri II d’Orléans, Duke of Longueville (1595-1663), ca 1660

Sir Peter Lely; Katherine Ashe (1652-1729), Mrs William Windham I, ca 1668; National Trust, Felbrigg Hall; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/katherine-ashe-16521729-mrs-william-windham-i-171331

Sir Peter Lely; Katherine Ashe (1652-1729), Mrs William Windham I, ca 1670; National Trust, Felbrigg Hall; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/katherine-ashe-16521729-mrs-william-windham-i-171331

François Duchatel, A family portrait in an architectural setting, traditionally identified as members of the Janssens family, 1672

François Duchatel, A family portrait in an architectural setting, traditionally identified as members of the Janssens family (detail), 1672

Catherine Dormer, daughter of Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey (d. 1659), 1659

Portret of Anna van Cammingha (1641-1712), ca 1670, – S01913 – Fries Museum Julius de Geest – Netherlands Institute for Art History

J Stusermans, 1660 Catherine of Braganza, ca 1660

Jacob Ferdinand Voet (attr), Portrait of Ortensia Mancini, Duchess of Mazzarin 1676-80

Cornelis Janson van Ceulen (II), Portrait of Aletta Pater, 1662, Centraal Museum 18045

Jan de Baen, Princess Henrietta-Anne 'Minette' (1644-1670), Duchess of Orleans; National Trust, Hatchlands; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/princess-henrietta-anne-minette-16441670-duchess-of-orleans-217380

Jan de Baen, Princess Henrietta-Anne ‘Minette’ (1644-1670), Duchess of Orleans, ca 1668, National Trust, Hatchlands; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/princess-henrietta-anne-minette-16441670-duchess-of-orleans-217380

Pierre Mignard Lady in the Park, 1660s

Workshop of Henri and Charles Beaubrun, Portrait of Louise Boyer (1632-1697), wife of Anne de Noailles (a.1613-1678), 1660s

Magdalene of Bavaria in an amazing ruff

Published by The Dreamstress

It’s often tempting to apply modern thoughts and standards to historical paintings. This glorious 1613 Candid* portrait of the 26 year old Magdalene of Bavaria (1587-1628) rather begs to be interpreted: she either looks incredibly haughty, incredibly bored, or as if she’s just discovered that her lowest and least-favourite lady in waiting is wearing the exact same outfit she is, and looks better in it. ⁠

Peter Candid (circa 1548–1628), Magdalene of Bavaria (1587-1628), wife of Wolfgang William, Count Palatine of Neuburg, 1613, Alte Pinakothek

It’s interesting to match these musings to what is known of Magdalene, who was described as ‘wise’, and was by the accounts available in English (she’s not the most important historical figure, so there isn’t a lot!) politically savvy and ambitious.

Magdalene was a Bavarian princess who was a pawn (although possibly an entirely aware and participatory one) in the great West-Central European political machinations of the early 17th century.

The child of William V, Duke of Bavaria and Renata of Lorraine, and the granddaughter of Christina of Denmark (she who, as a 16 year old widow, famously refused Henry VII proposal with the sassy retort “If I had two heads, one should be at the King of England’s disposal”) and an Austrian Archduchess, Magdalene was linked to most of the royal houses of Europe, and a desirable ally.

Both Archduke Matthias and Archduke Leopold of Austra wanted her hand in marriage in order to get Bavaria on their side in the ‘Brothers Quarrel’ Austrian dynastic dispute of the early 17th century. She stated she would rather be a nun than marry Matthias (!!!), but wanted to marry Leopold.

Her father and brother were not willing to get entangled in the Austrian mess and pushed her to refuse Leopold’s suit and accept the hand of her brother’s friend Wolfgang Wilhelm, Hereditary Prince of the Palatine-Neuburg.

Neuburg itself was relatively weak and poor and would not normally have been an ally important enough to justify the hand of such a sought-after princess. The Bavarian court, however, had another motive in promoting the union. Through it they hoped to convince Wolfgang to renounce his Lutheran faith and become a Catholic. In the fraught environment of religious tensions in the German states in the years before the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) the diplomatic coup of enticing a prominent Protestant to covert to Catholicism was as valuable as a powerful ally.

Not only did the Bavarians ploy work, with Wolfgang converting either at the marriage in November 1613, or in early 1614, but Magdalene and Wolfgang had (by 17th century royal standards at least) a happy marriage. They had only one child, a son Phillip William, born 1615, who inherited his father’s title.

Magdalene died at age 41 in 1628, and Wolfgang would marry twice more. He managed to maintain neutrality during the Thirty Years War, avoiding the devastation that swept through the other German States, including Bavaria, where Magdalene’s brother was not so lucky.

This painting was done at the time of her marriage – when she would have felt the loss of her preferred suitor, and would not have yet known that she’d come to prefer her husband. Perhaps that explains her rather grave and stiff expression.⁠

*best name for a portrait artist ever, although he’s also called Peter de Witte, which is rather less glorious

18th century, but with dinosaurs!

Published by The Dreamstress

I love historical accuracy and historical silliness equally passionately. One is about learning, the other is about laughing, and both are important!

For our 2025 Historical Sew & Eat Retreat I suggested (forcibly, it must be admitted!) that we do something very silly indeed:

18th century, but with dinosaurs!

AKA, add a touch of prehistory to your 18th century outfit…

And then play tag and do contra dancing with an inflatable dinosaur!

Things we learned from this theme:

Every event is improved with an inflatable T-Rex costume
Except tag. Poor Tyran Rex, Esq. isn’t built for speed!
There are two kinds of people in the world. People who hear you are planning to dress up like Marie Antoinette and get chased by a dinosaur and ask ‘Can I join!?!’ and people who hear you are planning to dress up like Marie Antoinette and get chased by a dinosaur and ask “Why…?”.

We are definitely the former!