Creative Process Journal: Marie Antoinette and Chick Lit

Marie Antoinette and her ladies in waiting from the movie Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola

One of the best thing about being a grad student is having access to online academic journals..... And given how much I like to read, it is almost like getting my daily dose of candy. One article that helped me gain a better understanding of the most recent wave of interest in Marie Antoinette is called "Marie Antoinette: Fashion, Third-Wave Feminism, and Chick Culture" by Susanne Ferriss and Mallory Young which was published in Literature Film Quarterly in 2010.

In this article, the authors trace the popularity of Marie Antoinette as an icon of fashion to the rise of chick culture and third wave feminism. They identify Antonia's biography called Marie Antoinette The Journey (2001), Caroline Weber's book Queen of Fashion (2006) and Sofia Coppola's movie Marie Antoinette (2006) as being pivotal to the transformation of the woman who was once considered a "heartless, elitist, anti-revolutionary wicked witch" into a "sympathetic, unfairly maligned victim" (Ferriss and Young: 98). The authors present the argument that this  revisionist account of Marie Antoinette is representative of a "third-wave feminist aesthetic focused on youth, fashion, sexuality, celebrity and consumerism." (Ferriss and Young: 99).

Book Review: Versailles, A Biography of a Palace

There is a lot of myth associated with Versailles. This book tells the real story behind this legendary palace and is a juicy read.

In anticipation of my trip there, I read this book and I am very glad that I did. Now I know that what a tourist sees today is quite different from what actually existed during the reigns of Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI. Each King made extensive alterations to the palace and since then there have been many more alterations.

For example, there used to be extra floors around the inner courtyards with some facades eventually reaching six stories. Both Louis XV and Louis XVI found privacy, fresh air and panoramic views from their rooftop rooms. These extra floors were described by Napolean's architect as courtyards "burdened with structures with no order or symmetry, their roofs or terraces piled on top of each other, making a real labyrinth from which the rainwater runs off with difficulty." (page 175) The removal of these top floors is an "irreparable loss for royal history".

I also gained a deeper understanding of what actually happened in Versailles from many perspectives including the traditions of ceremony, protocol, entertainment, dress, as well as fascinating details of how the thousands of support staff lived and worked the behind the scenes. Organized in a thematic rather than a sequential fashion, the book is not your typical boring history book and although it is not specifically about Marie Antoinette, she is mentioned often. This book is both entertaining and easy to read.

"Mentioned here for its sheer oddity, finally, is the use of the palace galleries by Louis XVI's brother, the clever and exquisitely polite comte de Provence, to stalk his sister-in-law, Marie-Antoinette, for who he burned with confused feelings. In the 1780s, when the prince was lodged in the Superintendency, he used to patrol the south wing's first-floor gallery in the hope of encountering "Rhodopovna," his code name for the queen, on her way to see her children, also lodged at the far end of the south wing. Halfway down the gallery with her footman, the queen would suddenly find her brother-in-law issuing from a side staircase, his prize for this subterfuge a few moments in her company and the chance to kiss her hand." (page 112)


If you are planning a trip to Versailles or want to read some scintilating facts about pre-revolutionary France, read this book. (By the way, Caroline Weber, author of Queen of Fashion, What Marie Antoinette wore to the Revolution, wrote the back cover blurb.)

Title: Versailles
Author: Tony Spawford
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, New York (2008)
Category: Non-fiction, history
Number of Pages: 254 (304 including endnotes)

Book Review: Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution

Title: Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution
Author: Caroline Weber
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, New York, 2007
Category: Non-fiction, history
Price: US $17, Canada $17.75 paperback

What it is about:
In Queen of Fashion, the author examines how the Marie Antoinette's choices of clothing and accessories became instruments of politics and power during the 18th century. In a frock by frock analysis, the author argues that the sartorial choices of the Queen of France played an instrumental part in determining her fate and the sequence of events that led to the revolution.

Favourite Passage:
"Among the nobility and moneyed bourgeoisie, even those women who found such innovations shocking in the King's wife could not resist following her lead. "By one of those contradictions that are more common in France than anywhere else," wrote a contemporary observer, "even as the people were criticizing the Queen for her outfits, they continued frenetically to imitate her. Every woman wanted to have the same deshabille, the same bonnet, that they had seen her wear." Propelled to notoriety by the ingenuity of designers to who the public came to refer as her "ministry of fashion," Marie Antoinette established herself as a force to be reckoned with -- as a queen who commanded as much attention as the most dazzling king or mistress, and whose imposing stature had nothing to do with her maternal prospects." (page 5)

Why I Chose this Book:
In the fall of 2008, the Royal Ontario Museum showcased a gown that may have been worn by Marie Antoinette (see my fashion blog: http://fashionismymuse.blogspot.com postings for October 2008 to see photos of the gown). As well, the ROM invited Carolyn Weber to give a talk about this book and in anticipation of that, I read it. And am I ever glad that I did! This book led me into deeper research into Marie Antoinette, 18th century fashion and the history of the French revolution and also inspired my artwork relating to that era.

Even though I previously reviewed this book on my fashion blog, I decided to include it here as well because this brilliant book is a must read for both fashion and history buffs.

Rating: A plus
Carolyn Weber is a skillful writer and weaves a thoughtful and well-researched argument about the interplay of fashion and politics. Even though Ms. Weber is an academic (associate professor of French and Comparative Literature at Barnard College), her prose is elegant, engaging and to the point. I even read the footnotes which contain a wealth of information. This book is an absolute delight to read.

Is this really Marie Antoinette's Dress?

Is this really Marie Antoinette's dress as the Royal Ontario Museum claims?

In my view, the bodice is altogether too plain and the neckline is too high. And why is the bodice unadorned with ribbons, bows or embroidery?

Compare the bodice to that illustrated in this engraving from the Galerie des Modes, a type of fashion portfolio published in France the later part of the 18th century. The decolletage and the adornments on the bodice are markedly different between the two dresses even though they are dated to be within the same time period (1770-1780).


This Galerie de Mode image from 1778 is said to be of Marie Antoinette in the grand habit de cour. The dress is lavishly adorned with lace, diamonds, pearls, ribbons and tassels.

Yesterday at the lecture on Marie Antoinette's Fatal Flair for Fashion at the ROM, Caroline Weber, author of "Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution", admitted that "the dress may or may not have belonged to Marie Antoinette and may or may not have been from the marchande des mode of Rose Bertin."

The facts that lead the ROM to believe it is Marie Antoinette's dress include:
1. the dress is scattered with embroidered wildflowers, one of the Queen's favourite motifs
2. the peacock feathers in the embroidery are representative of royalty
3. the description of the dress seems to match an entry in Rose Bertin's records that describes "an ivory silk dress"

I would have liked to question Ms. Weber about the bodice and the attribution to Marie Antoinette, but time did not permit. If this was Marie Antoinette's dress, I would hazard a guess that the remodelling of the dress in the 1880s not only included narrowing the dress to remove the paniers but also significant alterations to the bodice.

The dress will be on display at the Royal Ontario Museum for one more week - until Sunday, October 26, 2008. See for yourself and make your own conclusion.

Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queen's Park Circle, Toronto
www.rom.on.ca

Book Review: Queen of Fashion, What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution

Not only am I passionate about fashion, I am also a passionate reader. The stack of books beside my bed wobbles precariously every time I add more books to the pile. I read widely - everything from serious non-fiction to chick lit. I am not fussy about the topic so much as I am about the quality of the writing. I demand writing that is clear, to the point and engaging.

Caroline Weber's book on Marie Antoinette: "Queen of Fashion, What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution" is exactly my kind of book and a must read for both history buffs or fashion fans. From the introduction through to the footnotes, I was utterly entranced by the skillful writing. She weaves a thoughtful and well-researched argument about how Marie Antoinette's choices of clothing and accessories became instruments of politics and power. I could not put the book down.

Caroline Weber will be at the Royal Ontario Museum tomorrow, Saturday, October 17th, from 1-2 pm giving a lecture called "Marie Antoinette: Fatal Flair for Fashion", followed by a book-signing. Tickets are $20 for members and $23 for non-members. The movie "Marie Antoinette" by Sophia Coppola will be shown at 230 pm.

Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution
Caroline Weber
Picador Press, Henry Holt & Co, New York, 2006

Marie Antoinette's Dress Goes on Display

Portrait of the Archduchess Marie Antoinette, by Martin van Meylens the Younger

1767-1768, Schonbrunn Castle, Vienna

Very few artifacts belonging to Marie Antoinette are still in existence. A gown that may have once been worn by this fashion icon will be on display from October 11 to the 26th at the ROM in the Patricia Harris Gallery of Costume and Textiles.

"Dating back to the 1780s, this beautiful two piece court dress would have sparkled throughout the glittering palace of Versailles. Known as a fashion icon, Marie Antoinette's sense of style is apparent in the rich satin fabric, silk floral embroidery, ribbon appliques, spangles and glass stones." (ROM website).

                                    On Saturday, October 18th, Caroline Weber will be giving a talk about her book "Queen of Fashion: What Marie-Antoinette wore to the Revolution". Tickets for the lecture are $20 for members, $23 for non-members.



Royal Ontario Museum
Bloor Street West at Avenue Road, Toronto, Ontario Canada    416-586-8000