A woman with pale skin, wearing a shimmering, azure-blue gown, stands next to a child with a pale pink complexion, wearing a flame-red suit in this vertical portrait painting. The woman stands at the center of the composition with her body angled to our left, but she looks at us from the corners of her brown eyes. She has a straight nose, softly arched brows, and her full, coral-pink lips are closed. A hint of a shiny silver earring pokes through brown ringlets, and one curl falls over one shoulder. Two long, white feathers droop off the side of her wide brimmed, black hat. The bodice and full skirt of her blue dress are trimmed with bands of gold along the hems, down the sleeves, and down the front of the skirt. The blue fabric is covered with short, diagonal strokes of lighter blue. White fabric covers the front of her bodice under a tall, wide, stiff, lacy white collar that extends from her chin to her shoulders. Two rose-pink bows are tied on the white fabric on her chest. The cuffs of her elbow-length sleeves have layers of white ruffles. She touches her skirt with her left hand, to our right, and with the other touches a monkey on the boy’s shoulder. To our left, the boy’s body faces us but he looks up at the woman with dark eyes. He has rounded cheeks, and his lips are parted in a slight smile. His shoulder-length blond hair reaches to his wide, lacy collar. His red suit has long sleeves, and the coat is buttoned down the front. Ivory-white gloves reach back over his forearms, and the tops of his knee-high, fawn-brown boots are folded over. He raises his left arm, closer to the woman, to hold a monkey on a tether. The monkey stands with its feet on the boy’s forearm and its front paws on the boy’s shoulder. The woman and boy stand on a wide, curved, peanut-brown stone step. A fluted column rises to our right of the woman, and a gold, brocade curtain hangs down the right edge of the canvas, partially in front of the column. A pearl-encrusted crown is tucked into the folds of the curtain. On a ledge to our left of the woman, a miniature orange tree grows in a pot. The landscape beyond has soft green trees against a blue sky mostly screened with parchment-brown clouds.
Sir Anthony van Dyck, Queen Henrietta Maria with Sir Jeffrey Hudson, 1633, oil on canvas, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1952.5.39

Fashion

Artworks provide an invaluable record of fashion throughout history. See how art reflects trends of the time. See how meticulously artists represent details in clothing and accessories, from the sheen of silk to reflections in a pearl. 

  • The image shows a blue short-sleeved dress. It has a fitted bodice and a gathered skirt. The dress is mainly blue with darker blue shadowing. It is positioned centrally in the frame with space around it, showing details like the puffed sleeves and the slightly flared skirt.
  • The image features a decorative bag with a design of large green and blue leaves, as well as smaller white and red floral motifs. The colors in the palette are red, green, blue, white, and brown. The bag is centrally positioned with the handle at the top center and a large green leaf at the center.
  • This black-and-white photograph depicts a large workroom filled with around 20 women, most seated and working at long rectangular tables. In the bottom right corner, a partial view of a woman’s shoulder, draped in black-and-white striped fabric, enters the frame. In the foreground, a young woman faces the camera while working with a piece of dark striped fabric held in both hands. She wears a plain cotton blouse that closely matches her light skin, and her hair is pinned up. Her head tilts slightly upward, though her eyes remain focused on her task. She leans forward with a slightly hunched posture. A desk lamp with a curved metal arm casts light onto her workspace, where scraps of fabric and sewing tools are scattered, suggesting careful, repetitive handwork. Behind her, the room extends deep into the background, filled with rows of similar tables. Many women sit closely together, with only a few standing, all engaged in sewing, cutting, or assembling fabric. Their hair is either pinned up or cut short, and their heads are bent downward in concentration. To the left, a dark wood door remains closed, contrasting with the plain white walls. Overhead, multiple metal light fixtures hang from the high ceiling.
  • This is a drawing of a coat design. The drawing features a long, elegant coat that reaches almost to the floor. The coat is dark blue with a contrasting purple collar and trim. There is an embossed design on the coat's fabric. A belt cinches the waist, matching the purple accents. The coat is open at the bottom, revealing a lighter blue lining. To the right of the coat illustration is a simplified line drawing of the coat that highlights its structural design.
  • The image shows a pair of black shoes with red and white embroidery. The color scheme is black with red and white patterns. One shoe is on the left with its toe slightly pointing outwards, while the other shoe is on the right displaying the detailed embroidery on the toe and along the opening.
  • This black-and-white photograph shows two elderly women seated in a booth at the Pierre Hotel in New York City during what appears to be a formal fashion event. Both wear dark clothing and elaborate headpieces. The woman on the left wears a structured hat with a sheer polka-dot veil. She rests her face in her right hand and looks slightly to the side, her lips parted. The woman on the right wears a larger, textured headpiece—possibly fur or feathers—and multiple strands of pearls. She turns to her right and looks beyond the frame, mouth slightly open. The table in front of them has three fluted glasses with clear liquid, one is cut off by the bottom frame. The woman on the left holds a glass with white liquid. A beveled glass ashtray is on the table, partially obscured by a small jug. The photograph has strong light and shadow contrasts.
  • This seems to be a collage of fragmented shapes forming an abstract composition. In the center is a blend of facial features, with mismatched eyes, lips, and three different sections of hair, giving the impression of a woman's face. Surrounding this are elements suggesting a photography studio, such as spotlights and an umbrella near the top left corner. Around the central face are abstract shapes in pale blue and pale peach. The background is white, with some black rectangular shapes on the left and right sides and behind the umbrella at the top.
  • The image shows a large black bicorne hat with a gold emblem on the right side featuring an eagle surrounded by black and gold trimmings. The color palette is predominantly black with accents of gold, and the background is a plain, light beige. The hat is positioned centrally within the image, with its curved brim facing downwards and the decorative emblem prominently visible on the right side.
  • The image shows a hand with fingers spread, painted light pink with a lace glove reaching below the elbow. The glove has zigzag and diamond-shaped patterns and ties with tassels. The background is off-white.
  • A woman with pale skin, wearing a shimmering, azure-blue gown, stands next to a child with a pale pink complexion, wearing a flame-red suit in this vertical portrait painting. The woman stands at the center of the composition with her body angled to our left, but she looks at us from the corners of her brown eyes. She has a straight nose, softly arched brows, and her full, coral-pink lips are closed. A hint of a shiny silver earring pokes through brown ringlets, and one curl falls over one shoulder. Two long, white feathers droop off the side of her wide brimmed, black hat. The bodice and full skirt of her blue dress are trimmed with bands of gold along the hems, down the sleeves, and down the front of the skirt. The blue fabric is covered with short, diagonal strokes of lighter blue. White fabric covers the front of her bodice under a tall, wide, stiff, lacy white collar that extends from her chin to her shoulders. Two rose-pink bows are tied on the white fabric on her chest. The cuffs of her elbow-length sleeves have layers of white ruffles. She touches her skirt with her left hand, to our right, and with the other touches a monkey on the boy’s shoulder. To our left, the boy’s body faces us but he looks up at the woman with dark eyes. He has rounded cheeks, and his lips are parted in a slight smile. His shoulder-length blond hair reaches to his wide, lacy collar. His red suit has long sleeves, and the coat is buttoned down the front. Ivory-white gloves reach back over his forearms, and the tops of his knee-high, fawn-brown boots are folded over. He raises his left arm, closer to the woman, to hold a monkey on a tether. The monkey stands with its feet on the boy’s forearm and its front paws on the boy’s shoulder. The woman and boy stand on a wide, curved, peanut-brown stone step. A fluted column rises to our right of the woman, and a gold, brocade curtain hangs down the right edge of the canvas, partially in front of the column. A pearl-encrusted crown is tucked into the folds of the curtain. On a ledge to our left of the woman, a miniature orange tree grows in a pot. The landscape beyond has soft green trees against a blue sky mostly screened with parchment-brown clouds.
  • This vertical gelatin silver print includes a woman from the waist up in the center of the print facing us, sitting for a photograph. The dark background of the print is blurred. The woman has a light complexion. Her dark hair is pulled back into a slicked bun. Her makeup includes eyeliner wings and a dark clean lip. The woman has thin raised eyebrows and a perked up nose. Her eyes stare slightly past the camera. Her face is mostly at rest, her lips slightly upcurved. She has small ears with intricate dangle earrings. On her neck, she wears two necklaces, one a beaded layered choker and the other a metal dangle necklace with multiple shapes including detailed circles and teardrops. Her hand on our right brushes across the necklaces resting on her chest. She has a dark manicure and wears two chunky charm brackets on her wrist on our right with intricate detail. She wears an open cuffed neck blouse which reflects the light. The sleeves of the blouse are lined. Under the blouse she wears a dark undershirt. The arm to our left is blurred into the background.
  • The image depicts a person standing in a wedding gown, walking down an aisle. The individual faces slightly to the right, holding a bouquet, with distinct facial features, a white headpiece, and a long veil. They wear a strapless wedding gown with a structured bodice and a necklace. In the background, people are seen seated and kneeling with cameras. The setting appears to be indoors, with subtle lighting and plants.
  • In the image, there are two people in traditional Japanese attire. One person is standing facing forward, while the other stands slightly behind and to the side holding an umbrella. The person on the right has dark hair styled back with decorative pins, wearing a blue striped kimono with a floral design. The person on the left also has dark hair styled neatly, wearing a pink and gray kimono. Both are in traditional Japanese footwear. The person on the left holds a large umbrella over the other. The background is plain with a textured floor.

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Shown from the lap up, a young woman with pale skin, wearing a goldenrod-yellow dress, sits reading a small book, facing our left in profile in this vertical painting. The deep, scooped neckline of her rich yellow gown is edged with lace and decorated with a mauve-purple bow at the bust. Her chest is covered by sheer white fabric under a ruffled, pleated collar. The ruff is tied at the back with another mauve bow, and a ribbon of the same color ties up her chestnut-brown hair. She has a delicate nose and rosebud mouth, and she tips her head down to read the book she holds in one hand. She sits against an oversize pillow streaked with pale lilac and deep rose pink. Her left arm, closer to us, is draped over a railing that extends across the width of the canvas. The background behind her is streaked with tan and muted teal blue. A vertical strip of light caramel brown along the right edge of the canvas suggests another wall against which the pillow rests. The artist’s loose, lively brushstrokes are visible throughout.

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This is a drawing featuring a woman's historical dress design, likely from the 18th century. The dress includes a fitted bodice with buttons down the front, a full-length skirt, and a floral pattern with large leaves and flowers. Lace trims the cuffs and neckline. The drawing includes a faint sketch of the back of the dress, showcasing pleats and a similar style. The illustration demonstrates a detailed and precise design commonly found in fashion drawings.

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The sculpture is a medallion featuring the profile of a woman. Her face and upper torso are depicted in a smooth, painted style, and she is shown with long, flowing golden hair, contrasting sharply against a vivid blue background. The material of the medallion appears to be a gold or gold-like metal, with a textured surface that forms an intricate pattern around the central portrait. The surrounding design consists of raised, geometric shapes reminiscent of floral motifs. The medallion is relatively small and is set against a dark, textured backdrop.

Decorative Arts

Decorative arts are windows into the culture and styles of their periods. More than just decoration, they tell stories about customs and values. The metalworkers, ceramicists, weavers, cabinetmakers, or glassblowers who created the works are often anonymous. But they left a mark on history through their technical skills and innovative styles.

We hover over a flax-yellow body of water lined with ships to our left and right, which are silhouetted against a moonlit, cloud-veiled sky in this horizontal landscape painting. The horizon comes about a third of the way up the composition. The moon hangs to our left of center in the sky, its light reflecting on the clouds in a bright, hourglass shape to create a tunnel-like effect. The sea below turns from a gold color close to us to pale blue along the horizon. To our left, one ship with gray sails is cut off by the edge of the canvas and another, also with gray sails, is situated farther from us. A small, dark rowboat with two passengers moves between them. Light from the windows in buildings along the distant horizon to our left reflect in the water, and another building, a factory, spouts white flame from its chimney. More dark ships line the waterway to our right, their spiky masts black against the sky. Three flames, one orange between two pale yellow fires, flare in the darkness in front of the ship closest to us. The forms of men shoveling coal, crates, and barges are dark silhouettes against the firelight and smoke. More rowboats float among the boats in the distance. Near the lower right corner of the canvas, a broad, flat fragment of wood floats close to us. The hot orange and black on the right side of the painting contrasts with the silvery gray, light blue, and white that fills much of the rest of the composition. The painting was created with thick, blended brushstrokes throughout, giving the scene a hazy look. The texture of some of the brushstrokes is especially noticeable, as where the moon casts white light onto the water and in the clouds. The artist signed a buoy floating to our left with his initials, “JMWT.”

British Painting

The evolution in British painting mirrors the changes to British style and society between the 18th and 21st centuries. Works in our collection range from Sir Joshua Reynolds’s life-size “Grand Manner” portraits of British aristocrats to John Constable’s realistic views of the English countryside.