#2671 Sold
Fortuny stenciled velvet coat, c.1920
"Faithfully antique but powerfully original..." Marcel Proust
In his brilliant, multifarious output, Fortuny often drew inspiration from antique textiles. He did not simply copy the old designs; he reinterpreted them to achieve his aesthetic ideal. His atelier was in Venice, an important center of the Renaissance textile trade with the Orient. The Venetian aesthetic tradition was a rich source of ideas from ancient Persian and Islamic cultures.
The Persian-style pattern is in reverse—the ground is stenciled rather than the design, resulting in a raised pattern that resembles voided velvet. The rich ruby velvet has the opulent luxury that Fortuny so admired in Renaissance fabrics. He termed velvet, "the aristocrat of stuffs."
As in all Fortuny stenciled textiles, the layering of pigments in the stenciling process produces the subtle shading found in Renaissance frescoes. The velvet color shifts from burgundy to claret, depending on the light; the stenciled ground is in shades of silver and gray. The edges of the coat are bound with contrasting black/gold stenciled velvet.
When this style of coat was introduced in 1916, it had fabric belt loops and a belt all round the waist. This coat, of a slightly later date, is unbelted. The wrist bands close with hooks and can be opened when putting on the coat.
The length is three-quarter. The sleeves are cut-in-one with the body. The coat is lined with taupe silk charmeuse. It can be worn open or else closed with a hook in front. As one of the top dealers in Fortuny garments over the last 14 years, I can state that the Fortuny stenciled coat is even rarer than the Delphos gown.
Mariano Fortuny created some of the most remarkable fabrics and dresses of the last century. Although known today primarily as a dress and fabric designer, he was also a painter, etcher, sculptor, photographer, lighting engineer, set designer, theater director, inventor, and architect. In the field of design, he personified the Renaissance man who could do it all.
In the graphic arts, Fortuny's love and obsession was color in all its intricate subtlety. He made himself an expert in the manufacture, mixing, and application to textiles of dyes (especially from natural sources). There has never been a greater creator of color masterpieces in textile than Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo. He rightly occupies a place of honor in the pantheon of great design.
The label reads Mariano Fortuny/Venise.
The condition is excellent. The coat has been relined.
The coat has a 60" circumference and is 42" from shoulder to hem.
