mmcnealy | The 1518-1522 green dress

Here is my current project (hopefully to be done in time for GWW this weekend). [If you've ever wondered about my research methods, here's my stream of conciousness research notes for this dress]

Heilung von Unfruchtbarkeit (Healing of the barren woman)
Dieses Bild: 000477
Kunstwerk: Tafelmalerei ; Flügelaltar ; Mariazeller Wunderaltar ; Steiermark
Dokumentation: 1518 ; 1522 ; Graz ; Österreich ; Steiermark ; Landesmuseum Joanneum
Anmerkungen: 610x340 ; Mariazell
Detail picture http://www.imareal.oeaw.ac.at/server/images/7000335.JPG
Full picture http://www.imareal.oeaw.ac.at/server/images/7000334.JPG

Its a green dress, very similar in style to the brown silk one I made for 12th night, except I'm making it out of green linen with black linen gaurds. I've changed the sleeves around so that they will be more like the sleeves on this dress, and I've made them longer so they should actually cover my hands.

The skirt looks to be pleated, but how much pleating is the question, especially with the odd drape action across the front (seen best in the full picture link). Is this perhaps the artists rendition of her pregnant stomach?

Should I go with my standard 3-1 knife pleated skirt? Or perhaps something a little less full at the waist and flared? Let's look at the rest of the dresses in the altarpiece that might show the style more clearly. But the skirts appear to have a plain hem, no banding.

For the back neckline, I'm using this dress (also from the same altarpiece) as a guide.
Heilung von Epilepsie
Dieses Bild: 000465
http://www.imareal.oeaw.ac.at/server/images/7000317.JPG

There is a definite color break in the front along the front seam line, which leads me to believe that it is front closing. I also really like the double black line guards.

Here is another dress from the same altarpiece, same style and definite line down the front. This skirt appears to have more pleats in it, and they are deeper.

Erweckung zweier toter Kinder
Dieses Bild: 000473
Detail http://www.imareal.oeaw.ac.at/server/images/7000330.JPG
Full http://www.imareal.oeaw.ac.at/server/images/7000329.JPG

Waistlines
This one is definitly not pleated, the waistline is smooth, but definitly there.
Heilung eines epileptischen Kindes
Dieses Bild: 000479
http://www.imareal.oeaw.ac.at/server/images/7000337.JPG

There are lots of other examples of women with smooth waisted flared skirts. Perhaps pleats are a class thing, or a style only worn by the upper class? The woman in the green dress is certainly rich, the gold cap over her bundlein shows that.

But then we have a washer woman with a pleated skirt. OK, not a class thing, its a style thing. [Oooh, check out the laundry washing implements!]
Errettung eines in einen Mühlbach gefallenen Kindes
Dieses Bild: 000496
http://www.imareal.oeaw.ac.at/server/images/7000358.JPG

Pleated or not, they certainly had full skirts, check out the flare on this one [wonder if her petticoats are stiffend?].
Errettung bei Kämpfen mit Armbrust
Dieses Bild: 000497
http://www.imareal.oeaw.ac.at/server/images/7000361.JPG

OK, just measured the fabric. I have enough fabric, plus a tiny bit left over, to make a 3-1 pleated skirt. A pleated skirt would give the pleats at the waist that we see in the detail picture of the top of the draped section, and also cause the fabric to pull from the back to the front (the line from her back hip to the front knee)

Alright, pleated skirt it is. :)