Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion & Its Legacy

By Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

This exhibition was organized by the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.

Installation view, Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion & Its Legacy (2016)Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.

Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion & Its Legacy

Early 19th-century Romanticism embraced imagination and the unknown. Costume of the period integrated elements central to Romantic sensibilities--history, religion, emotion, and even landscape. Fashion design today continues to be inspired by this aesthetic.   

Installation view, Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion & Its Legacy (2016)Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.

This exhibition explores a complex period in design history that continues to echo through fashion to this day. Presenting costume created between 1810 and 1860 in its cultural context—as seen in literary works, paintings, prints, and the decorative arts—offers an opportunity to understand not just how clothing looked in the early nineteenth century, but why it looked that way. Look closely to discover how the decorative details adorning a ball gown resemble those on a cast iron stove; how the fashionable silhouette of a woman in an 1820s portrait found inspiration in styles worn by Renaissance noblewomen; and how a silk dress in the golden hue of a Hudson River School landscape manifests the period’s passion for nature. With an emphasis on imagination and emotion, Romantic ideas permeated history, religion, literature, visual arts, and all forms of design, including fashion.

Installation view, Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion & Its Legacy (2016)Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.

Romantic philosophy and aesthetics have continued as an undercurrent in Western society since the nineteenth century, affecting fashion in some manner in every subsequent generation. Most recently, the Goth and Steampunk styles—as seen in the couture designs of Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gaultier in the last section of this exhibition—offer their own unique expressions of Romanticism.

Reading the Legend (1852) by Lilly Martin SpencerOriginal Source: Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts. Gift of Adeline Flint Wing, class of 1898 and Caroline Roberta Wing, class of 1896, SC 1954:69

What Is Romanticism?

Romanticism began as a late eighteenth-century philosophy that embraced imagination, emotion, and the unknown. Affecting history, literature, religion, art, and home life, Romanticism offered an escape from the stresses of the early Industrial Revolution. Popular novels set in medieval times led to a passion for castle ruins and chivalry. Calvinist doctrine was rejected in favor of a more generous theology, laying the groundwork for the Second Great Awakening religious revival.Especially in America, Romanticism emphasized the landscape, stimulating the Hudson River School artists and the transcendentalist philosophers, who argued the perfectibility of man through the contemplation of nature. Decorative lithographs and popular literature disseminated sentimental ideals of home and family life.The following sections of Gothic to Goth examine how costume of the early nineteenth century integrated all of these factors to create the fashions of the Romantic era.

The Past (1838) by Thomas ColeOriginal Source: Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts. Museum Purchase, 1950.189

Thomas Cole
American, born England, 1801–1848
The Past, 1838
Oil on canvas
Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts. Museum Purchase, 1950.189

Enthusiasm for a mythologized past permeated the period’s culture and was expressed in both the fine and the decorative arts. Cole, who personally felt that human civilization had reached its height in the medieval era, captured the excitement and valor of a jousting tournament in this painting.

Reading the Legend (1852) by Lilly Martin SpencerOriginal Source: Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts. Gift of Adeline Flint Wing, class of 1898 and Caroline Roberta Wing, class of 1896, SC 1954:69

Lilly Martin Spencer
American, 1822–1902
Reading the Legend, 1852
Oil on canvas
Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts. Gift of Adeline Flint Wing, class of 1898 and Caroline Roberta Wing, class of 1896, sc 1954:69

In Reading the Legend, a young woman gazes longingly toward an ivy-covered Gothic ruin as her beau reads a romantic novel to her. (The ruin is actually Blarney Castle in Ireland, which burned in 1820, and probably looked much like this picturesque image at the time of Spencer’s painting. It was rebuilt in the 1870s.)

Folding fan Folding fanOriginal Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Bequest of Miss Adele Kneeland through Mrs. Philip A. Means, her niece, 1938.574

Historicism

Clothing of the Romantic era incorporates design elements from past centuries, creating unique combinations. For example, several hundred years of costume design are integrated into this fashion plate of early Romantic dress, including “slashing” in the sleeves, which first appeared in the late fifteenth century, a neck ruff popular in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, and “vandyck” points on the sleeve cuffs (named for the famed seventeenth-century portraitist, Sir Anthony van Dyck). This section of Gothic to Goth takes a chronological look at the historical influences that appeared in the first half of the nineteenth century: the Greek Revival of the 1820s and 1830s; the Gothic Revival, which was dominant in the 1840s; and the Rococo Revival of the 1850s.

The Four Seasons: Autumn (1644) by Wenceslaus HollarOriginal Source: Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, 1955.1992

Wenceslaus Hollar
Bohemian, 1607–1677
The Four Seasons: Autumn, 1644
Etching on paper
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, 1955.1992

Mrs. Charles (Martha Kingsley) MacNeil (1834) by Samuel Waldo and William JewettOriginal Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Bequest of Clara Hinton Gould, 1948.182

Samuel Waldo
American, 1783–1861
William Jewett
American, 1792–1874
Mrs. Charles (Martha Kingsley) MacNeil, 1834
Oil on wood
Bequest of Clara Hinton Gould, 1948.182

Compare the 1644 etching by Hollar with the 1834 portrait by Waldo and Jewett. Mrs. MacNeil wears a hood-like cap and folded white scarf that perfectly echo the hood and collar of Hollar’s subject. In the Romantic era, large collars that draped over the shoulders were called “pelerines,” from the French word “pèlerin,” meaning “pilgrim”—an appropriately Gothic term connoting piety and history.

Installation view, Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion & Its Legacy (2016)Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.

Dress DressOriginal Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Mrs. Charles H. Kremer, 1964.200

Dress, c. 1832
American
Printed cotton
Gift of Mrs. Charles H. Kremer, 1964.200

Puffed sleeves and wide collars reminiscent of the seventeenth century are seen in this dress; the decorative tab edging of the collar is similar to the edgings of men’s clothing in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

Parlor stove (c. 1844) by Francis S. Low and John S. LeakeOriginal Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. American Decorative Arts Purchase Fund, 1985.62

Parlor stove, c. 1844
American, Albany, New York
Made by Francis S. Low and John S. Leake
Cast iron
American Decorative Arts Purchase Fund, 1985.62

Parlor stoves, a luxury for only the wealthy until about the 1840s, were often cast with decorative detail reflective of the period’s reigning fashion. This Greek Revival stove features rounded shapes and foliate motifs like those seen in the adjacent ball dress.

Ball dress (c. 1830)Original Source: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Elizabeth Day McCormick Collection, 43.1650

Ball dress, c. 1830
French
Silk satin embroidered with metallic threads
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Elizabeth Day McCormick Collection, 43.1650
© 2016 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The large, puffed sleeves and full skirt of this dress illustrate the Greek Revival style, a marked departure from the straight lines of Neoclassical fashion. The gold-embroidered fronds around the hem are typical Greek Revival motifs and were found in a variety of early nineteenth-century decorative arts.

Platter (c. 1850)Original Source: Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut, Gift of Mary F. Lord and Katherine L. Lord

Platter, c. 1850
English, Staffordshire
Lead-glazed earthenware, transfer-printed
Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut, Gift of Mary F. Lord and Katherine L. Lord

In addition to the historical references inherent in its architecture and decorative arts, the Gothic Revival style was appreciated for the piety it was believed to convey. Housewives decorated their homes with Gothic-themed objects that evoked the days of chivalry and godliness popularized by Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley novels— including platters transfer-printed with designs of castles.

Folding fan Folding fanOriginal Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Bequest of Miss Adele Kneeland through Mrs. Philip A. Means, her niece, 1938.574

Folding fan, mid-19th century
European
Hand-painted lithograph and ivory
Bequest of Miss Adele Kneeland through Mrs. Philip A. Means, her niece, 1938.574

Lithographic prints of imaginary Gothic scenes could be purchased for hanging on the parlor wall—or for fluttering in the hand. The leaf of this fan depicts a pseudo-medieval feasting scene, flanked by figures of knights in chain mail set within Gothic medallions.

Installation view, Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion & Its Legacy (2016)Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.

Shoes (c. 1775)Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Mrs. T. Stewart Hamilton, 1961.108a,b

Shoes, c. 1775
American
Silk
Gift of Mrs. T. Stewart Hamilton, 1961.108a,b

Dress made from 18th-century fabric and slippers Dress made from 18th-century fabric and slippersOriginal Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.

Dress made from 18th-century fabric, c. 1840
American
Silk
Gift of Mrs. T. Stewart Hamilton, 1961.109a,b

Slippers, c. 1830–50
American
Silk and leather
Bequest of Miss Augusta Hart Williams, 1913.138–139

This dress offers an example of how 1840s fashion sometimes incorporated historical styles in a more tangible way—it was cut “à l’antique” using fabric from an eighteenth-century dress. The collar edging the low neckline was inspired by seventeenth-century fashion.

Dress and chemisette (c. 1845-1855)Original Source: Dress- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Elizabeth Day McCormick Collection, 44.142 Chemisette- Historic Northampton, Northampton, Massachusetts, 51.52

Dress, late 1840s
Possibly French
Silk
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Elizabeth Day McCormick Collection, 44.142

Chemisette, c. 1845–55
American
Cotton muslin with machine-made linen bobbin lace
Historic Northampton, Northampton, Massachusetts, 51.52

This Rococo Revival dress is an imitation of an eighteenth-century dress called an “open robe,” in which the skirt is open to reveal a decorative or matching petticoat.

Dress with evening bodice, Chantilly lace shawl, and Parlor chair Dress with evening bodice, Chantilly lace shawl, and Parlor chairOriginal Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.

Lynne Bassett speaking about dress with evening bodice.
00:00

Dress with evening bodice, c. 1850
American
Silk
Gift of Estate of Matta Grimm Lacey, 1976.33b,c

Chantilly lace shawl, c. 1850–75
French
Silk
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Kraatz, Paris, 1984.70

Parlor chair, c. 1863
American, probably Boston.
Rosewood and silk damask
Gift of Mrs. Horace B. Clark, and Thomas L. Cox, by exchange, 1985.2.2

The brocade-woven design of curled leaf motifs and rose-like flowers is distinctly eighteenth-century in flavor, though the deep black and blue color combination is very Victorian. The black Chantilly lace shawl was hugely fashionable in the 1850s and 1860s. Chantilly had been the favorite lace of Queen Marie Antoinette.

Apron, reproduction dress, shoes, and pair of earrings (c. 1830s)Original Source: Apron- Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Miss Ruth Wolcott, 1968.225 Shoes- Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Purchased from Mrs. Frances Edwards from Keney Fund, 1946.130–131 Pair of earrings- Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Mrs. Gurdon W. Russell, 1918.1619–1620

Color, Pattern, and “Fancy”

Proponents of Romanticism rejected not only Enlightenment reason, but also Neoclassicism’s geometry and pale, monochromatic palette. Technological innovations of the Industrial Revolution allowed early nineteenth-century Americans to revel in color and pattern by decorating their homes with newly inexpensive paints, wallpapers, and textiles. This love of “Fancy” was part of the Romantic embrace of imagination and emotion. It led to colorful and abundantly embellished interior decoration and also influenced clothing fashions, especially in the 1820s and 1830s. While advice books admonished women for spending too much time and money on personal ornamentation, enthusiasm remained unabated for delicately embroidered shoulder capes and caps, carved tortoiseshell combs, stenciled velvet purses, colorful ribbons, beaded bags, dangling earrings, patterned scarves and shawls, and wide ribbon belts with elegant buckles.Add new panelDrag a saved item orSelect a Street ViewAdd new sectionDrag a saved item orSelect a Street ViewSaved51

Dress, shoes, chemisette, and purse (c. 1825-1850)Original Source: Dress- Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2012.31.5 Shoes- Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Miss Ruth Wolcott, 1968.232a,b Chemisette- Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Miss Ellen D. Constant, 1930.106 Purse- Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Mrs. Gurdon W. Russell, 1918.1387

Dress, c. 1830
English
Red calico
Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2012.31.5

Shoes, c. 1825–50
American
Silk satin and leather
Gift of Miss Ruth Wolcott, 1968.232a,b

Chemisette with ruffled collar, c. 1830s
Probably French for the American market
Cotton
Gift of Miss Ellen D. Constant, 1930.106

Purse, c. 1830s
American
Stenciled cotton velvet on stamped brass frame
Gift of Mrs. Gurdon W. Russell, 1918.1387

Innovations in textile technologies in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries had a tremendous impact on the production of calico, making these multi- colored cotton fabrics affordable for almost every budget. Following the Fancy aesthetic, women sometimes applied their own designs to textiles; between 1825 and 1850, stenciling was an especially popular form of decoration, as seen in this purse.

Apron, reproduction dress, shoes, and pair of earrings (c. 1830s)Original Source: Apron- Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Miss Ruth Wolcott, 1968.225 Shoes- Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Purchased from Mrs. Frances Edwards from Keney Fund, 1946.130–131 Pair of earrings- Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Mrs. Gurdon W. Russell, 1918.1619–1620

Apron, 1833
American
Embroidered silk
Gift of Miss Ruth Wolcott, 1968.225

Reproduction dress

Shoes, c. 1830s
American
Kid leather
Purchased from Mrs. Frances Edwards from Keney Fund, 1946.130–131

Pair of earrings, c. 1830s
Barbados
Gold and chalcedony
Gift of Mrs. Gurdon W. Russell, 1918.161–1620

This embroidered silk apron was a gift to Frances Ann Dorr from her fiancé, Peter Freeman, who purchased it in 1833 at a fair to benefit what is now the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston. (Such “fancy fairs” were common fundraisers in the antebellum period, and were often held for reform causes, such as anti-slavery, or to benefit the poor.) The bright-green silk with contrasting pink ruffles and embroidery is an eye-popping example of Fancy fashion.

Hair comb (c. 1825-1835)Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Bequest of Miss Julia F. White, 1937.224

Hair comb, c. 1825–35
American
Horn
Bequest of Miss Julia F. White, 1937.224

Fancy also affected hairstyle fashions, which featured greased and wired loops and curls. These elaborate coiffures were further ornamented with large combs, sometimes worn two or three at a time. The combs were made from the shells of sea turtles—most commonly the hawksbill turtle. Horn was sometimes used as an alternative to tortoiseshell, or, when dyed, as an imitation of that more expensive material.

Dress, reproduction belt, belt buckle, and scarf (c. 1837-1850)Original Source: Dress- Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2012.31.3 Belt buckle- Collection of Lynne Zacek Bassett Scarf- Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Clifton M. Bockstoce, 1963.527

Dress, c. 1837–40
American
Printed silk
Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2012.31.3

Reproduction ribbon belt

Belt buckle, 19th century
Probably English
Mother of pearl and brass
Collection of Lynne Zacek Bassett

Scarf, c. 1850
French or English
Silk
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Clifton M. Bockstoce, 1963.527

American women who put together ensembles like this one were following French fashion. The silks, as well as the styles, were probably produced in France. The complicated sleeve decoration, pattern-woven shawl, ribbon belt and buckle, beaded reticule, and complex hairstyle all combined to create layers of pattern and ornamentation in response to Romanticism’s imaginative Fancy aesthetic.

Camp-meeting (c. 1829) by Kennedy & Lucas’s LithographyOriginal Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Religion

Romanticism rejected the doctrine of predestination—by which only the “chosen” can be saved and go to heaven—and instead emphasized salvation through good, moral behavior. The Second Great Awakening, a religious revival characterized by lively camp meetings, became its most intense in America from about 1825 to 1850. The Gothic Revival style, which also reached the height of its popularity at that time, was associated with religious devotion because it evoked an idealized vision of the religious, medieval past. Period advice literature instructed women to express their individual faith through their dress and deportment.

Camp-meeting, c. 1829
Lithograph by Kennedy & Lucas’s Lithography (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Printed by Alexander Rider (active 1810–1834)
Drawn on stone by Hugh Bridport (1794–c. 1868)
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Jug (1842-1861) by Charles Meigh & Co.Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Bequest of Miss Louise E. Hatheway, 1910.203

Jug, 1842–61
English, Hanley, Staffordshire
Made by Charles Meigh & Co. (active 1835–1861)
Lead-glazed stoneware
Bequest of Miss Louise E. Hatheway, 1910.203

The “Apostle” design molded in lead-glazed stoneware was a very popular Gothic Revival motif and can be found in tea sets and jugs. Any Catholic association with the design was conveniently overlooked by staunchly Protestant followers of the Gothic Revival.

Fashion plate from Godey’s Lady’s Book (March 1843)Original Source: Collection of Lynne Zacek Bassett

Reproduction fashion plate from Godey’s Lady’s Book, March 1843
Collection of Lynne Zacek Bassett

In the 1840s, simplicity in dress became associated with a virtuous and pious spirit. This led to reduced embellishment and a new silhouette. The shoulder line remained sloped, and sleeves became tightly fitted. The neckline and waistline grew pointed, and the torso was constricted by a bosom-crushing corset, while the skirt remained bell-shaped. Topped by a closely fitted bonnet, the resulting silhouette consciously echoed the shape of a Gothic arch, as this fashion plate illustrates.

Dress, Canvaswork bag, and Shoes Dress, Canvaswork bag, and ShoesWadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

Dress, c. 1840–45
American
Silk
Gift of Mrs. Frederic Beach, 1937.422

Canvaswork bag, c. 1830–50
American
Wool and linen
Collection of Mary D. Doering

Shoes, c. 1830–50
American
Kid leather
Collection of Mary D. Doering

The pointed waistline, pointed bodice decoration, tight sleeves, tight bodice with dropped shoulder line, and full skirt of this silk dress combine to mimic the shape of a Gothic arch.

Wedding dress, pelerine, shoes, reticule, and Brooch Wedding dress, pelerine, shoes, reticule, and BroochOriginal Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.

Wedding dress, pelerine, shoes, and reticule, 1840
Burmese
Silk
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Edward C. Barlow, 1971.8a,b,d,h,and i

Brooch, mid-19th century
American
Brunette hair and gold
Gift of Mrs. William S. Curtis, 1944.254

Romanticism’s religious zeal was associated with the medieval Crusades. With Bibles rather than swords in hand, nineteenth-century missionaries were sent out to bring Christianity to “heathen” countries. Caroline Harrington of Brookfield, Massachusetts, was appointed as a Baptist missionary to Burma in 1832. She married the Reverend Thomas Simons and commissioned this silk wedding dress and accessories from the seamstresses of his congregation. The ensemble was a present for her sister, Olive, who wed Marshall Doane on November 8, 1840.

Watch chain (c. 1830-1840)Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Bequest of Miss Adele Kneeland, 1938.520

Lynne Bassett speaking about watch chain.
00:00

Watch chain, c. 1830–40
American
Loom-woven glass beads
Bequest of Miss Adele Kneeland, 1938.520

The bead watch chain, a fad among young women in the 1830s, potentially satisfied both the Fancy and the religious aesthetic. Woven with glass beads, the chains commonly featured religious symbolism and mottoes. The motifs on this particularly colorful chain include a church, anchors (meaning religious hope), and a twice-repeated design of three crosses, representing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ between two thieves.

The Present (1838) by Thomas ColeOriginal Source: Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts. Museum Purchase, 1950.190

Nature and the Picturesque

The roots of Romanticism reach back to the early eighteenth century, when landscape design shifted toward creating a seemingly natural effect—exemplified by rolling pastures dotted with trees carefully placed to appear random. These picturesque landscapes were celebrated by artists, poets, and tourists. At the same time, a fascination with nature’s awe-inspiring power—the sublime—spawned an enthusiasm for danger and unpredictability, including the supernatural. American Romanticism gave rise to the Hudson River School artists and Transcendentalist philosophers, who promoted the contemplation of nature as a path to personal perfection and a means of understanding the Divine.The embrace of nature extended to women’s duty and appearance. As the primary guardians against the evils of urban industrialization, women were expected to create serene, pious homes—while clothed in reimagined medieval and Renaissance styles colored in the shades of moss-covered ruins and accessorized with an abundance of flowers.

Mrs. Abbott Lawrence (Katherine Bigelow) (c. 1855) by Chester HardingOriginal Source: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Miss Aimée and Miss Rosamond Lamb, 61.240

Chester Harding
American, 1792–1866
Mrs. Abbott Lawrence (Katherine Bigelow), c. 1855
Oil on canvas
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Miss Aimée and Miss Rosamond Lamb, 61.240
© 2016 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

To avoid associations with Catholicism, proponents of the Gothic style argued that it was started by Druids, who formed their pointed-arch chapels by tying trees together. This painting represents the intertwining of religion and nature in Romanticism.

While the background depicts a natural landscape lit by a warm, mellow glow, Mrs. Lawrence sits in her Gothic chair, wearing a cross necklace and the sedate black dress and simple accessories of the highly religious.

American Country Life. May Morning (1855) by Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt IvesOriginal Source: Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, Massachusetts. Gift of Lenore B. and Sidney A. Alpert, supplemented with Museum Acquisition Funds

Nathaniel Currier
American, 1813–1888
James Merritt Ives
American, 1824–1895
American Country Life. May Morning, 1855
Hand-colored lithograph
Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, Massachusetts. Gift of Lenore B. and Sidney A. Alpert, supplemented with Museum Acquisition Funds
Photography by David Stansbury

This idyllic scene illustrates the type of Gothic-style country home promoted by Downing. Two ladies tend the extensive garden in the yard while a child plays with a pet lamb.

The Present (1838) by Thomas ColeOriginal Source: Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts. Museum Purchase, 1950.190

Thomas Cole
American, born England, 1801–1848
The Present, 1838
Oil on canvas
Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts. Museum Purchase, 1950.190

Architectural advice books of the period promoted soft, golden earth tones to harmonize with nature. They were meant to evoke the “mellow golden hue” of sunshine, “when diffused as in a fine evening over the whole landscape.” These are the colors of Cole’s painting, The Present, which laments days gone by—medieval ruins covered in moss and ivy, lit by an end-of-day glow from the sun.

Dress, shawl, shoes, and bonnet (c. 1837-1845)Original Source: Dress: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift from the Estate of Miss Laura B. Pease, through Dwight Pease, 1950.401 Shawl: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Mrs. Maria D. Thompson, The Thompson Collection, 1922.246 Shoes: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Miss A. Gertrude Ensign, 1946.261–262 Bonnet: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Miss Amy L. Steiner, 1950.531

Dress, c. 1837–40
American
Silk
Gift from the Estate of Miss Laura B. Pease,
through Dwight Pease, 1950.401

Shawl, c. 1845
English
Wool and silk
Gift of Mrs. Maria D. Thompson, The Thompson Collection, 1922.246

Shoes, 1841
American
Silk and leather
Gift of Miss A. Gertrude Ensign, 1946.261–262

Bonnet, 1837
American
Silk and cane
Gift of Miss Amy L. Steiner, 1950.531

Judging by the number of surviving examples, every woman in the late 1830s or early 1840s must have owned at least one dress in this mellow, golden olive color. This, and similar soft shades of sage green, tan, and indescribable golden putty colors—various shades of “drab"—were the same contemplative earth-tone colors recommended in Gothic Revival architecture books and used in Romantic landscape paintings.

Dress and Undersleeves Dress and UndersleevesOriginal Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.

Dress, c. 1850
American
Printed wool challis
Gift of Miss Harriet A. Kellogg and her sisters, Julia A. and Laura C. Kellogg, 1943.161

Undersleeves, c. 1845–50
Cotton
Gift from the Estate of Mrs. Louisa Gilman Lane through Miss Caroline Trumbull Gilman, 1923.410–411

This dress epitomizes the restrained femininity of women’s daywear in the 1840s, with its simple embellishment of narrow velvet ribbon on the sleeves and decorative gold buttons down the front. The forest green, floral challis fabric reflects the period’s interest in nature. The design of the dress takes inspiration from the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries in its capped and belled sleeves, and its elongated, pointed waist.

Installation view, Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion & Its Legacy (2016)Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.

Caroline Augusta Goodwin (c. 1840s) by Mrs. Henry Peters Gray (Susan Clark)Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift from the Estate of Miss Anne Wells Cheney through Clifford Cheney, 1944.269

The Age of Emotion

Sentimentality and emotion found expression in friendship albums, popular literature, and jewelry woven from the hair of loved ones. Early nineteenth-century lithographs of idealized women and families also spread the sentimental and religious values of Romanticism. The woman personifying Modesty is dressed in pseudo-Renaissance costume, and is posed with the downcast eyes that characterized the demure ideal of a Romantic woman. Such images manifested the declarations of popular advice books that dress was an "index to character."

Modesty (c. 1830-1840) by D. W. Kellogg & Co.Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift from the Estate of John H. Sage, 1925.883

D. W. Kellogg & Co.
American, Hartford, Connecticut, active c. 1830–1842
Modesty, c. 1830–40
Hand-colored lithograph
Gift from the Estate of John H. Sage, 1925.883

Lydia Huntley Sigourney (1791–1865) (c. 1855) by Augustus WashingtonOriginal Source: Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut

Sally Dickinson speaking about Lydia Huntley Sigourney.
00:00

Augustus Washington
American, Hartford, Connecticut, c. 1820–1875
Lydia Huntley Sigourney (1791–1865), c. 1855
Daguerreotype
Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut

Lydia Huntley Sigourney of Hartford, the most celebrated American female poet prior to the Civil War, frequently published her work in gift annuals. Her poetry is now regarded as cloyingly sentimental, but was much loved in the Romantic era.

Dress, Brooch, Dress, Scarf, Day cap, Eyeglasses, Pin, Housewife, and Shoes Dress, Brooch, Dress, Scarf, Day cap, Eyeglasses, Pin, Housewife, and ShoesWadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

Left:
Dress, c. 1845
American
Silk
Gift of Miss Elizabeth J. Ratmond, 1965.219a,b

Brooch, c. 1850
American
Hair under glass, gold-filled setting
Gift of Mrs. Susan T. Darling, 1923.150

Purse, 1841
American
Embroidered wool
Gift of Miss Mary E. Lincoln, 1927.140

Right:
Dress, c. 1840–45
American
Cotton/wool
Purchased from Special Gift Fund, 1958.567a

Scarf, c. 1830–50
American
Embroidered cotton
Gift of Mrs. Grace (C. Wilbur) Cary, 1946.361

Day cap, 1840s
American
Embroidered cotton
Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2012.31.10

Eyeglasses, 1830–40
Collection of Thomas G. Shaw, The Clothing Bureau

Pin, c. 1820–50
American
Gold, pearls, glass, and hair
Bequest of Miss Adele Kneeland through her niece, Mrs. Philip A. Means, 1938.428

Housewife, c. 1830s
American
Printed cotton
Collection of Mary D. Doering

Shoes, 1842
Tan leather
Gift of Mrs. Willard Jones, 1963.217a,b

Brooch (c. 1820-1840)Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Mrs. Grace E. Odell, 1952.75

Brooch, c. 1820–40
American
Probably watercolor on ivory, set in gold-over-silver pin
Gift of Mrs. Grace E. Odell, 1952.75

For centuries, jewelry has served as a sentimental gift. In the nineteenth century, a number of forms were often homemade, such as painted brooches, bead watch chains, and hair jewelry. The desired message could be represented literally in words, or figuratively in symbols. This brooch bears the inscription, “Friendship the Fountain of Love.”

Wedding dress Wedding dressOriginal Source: Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut

Wedding dress, 1838
American
Silk satin
Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut
Worn by Martha Webster (1820–1894), who married Henry Lewis Miller (1806–1861) of Hartford.

Wedding dress (detail) (1838)Original Source: Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut

Without modesty, there was no hope of marrying a worthy man, a fact taught through period literature. The emphasis on feminine virtue made white dresses—symbolizing virtue and purity—common among brides who could afford them. Published descriptions of Queen Victoria’s 1840 wedding ensemble further popularized white wedding dresses, which royal brides had worn since the early eighteenth century.

Installation view, Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion & Its Legacy (2016)Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.

Maternity dress, Pelerine, and Shoes Maternity dress, Pelerine, and ShoesOriginal Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.

Maternity dress, c. 1830–35
English
Printed cotton
Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2012.31.1

Pelerine, c. 1830–35
Embroidered cotton
Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2012.31.7

Shoes, c. 1835
American
Silk satin and leather
Gift of Mrs. Willard Jones, 1963.218a,b

The role of the mother in shaping the hearts and minds of her offspring was celebrated in song, story, poem, and image. This dress has an apron-front skirt, meaning that it is open across the front of the waist and down the side seams to above the knee. The waist is on a drawstring so that it can be adjusted. This construction had been an option since the 1780s and was convenient for pregnancy.

Nursing dress Nursing dressOriginal Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Mrs. Louis P. Merriman, 1965.474

Nursing dress, c. 1845
American
Printed cotton
Gift of Mrs. Louis P. Merriman, 1965.474

Women in the early Victorian age were not as prudish about breast feeding as has been assumed. In fact, as proof of the sentimental, maternal bond, it became fashionable in the 1840s for mothers to be photographed nursing their babies. The fan-shaped gathering across the front of this dress bodice hides openings over the breasts to allow for nursing an infant. The openings fasten with hooks and eyes. Most nursing mothers (judging by the aforementioned photographs) used front-opening dresses.

Installation view, Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion & Its Legacy (2016)Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.

Woman’s mourning dress and bonnet (c. 1857-1860)Original Source: Woman’s mourning dress: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Miss Harriet S. Smith, 1924.491 Woman’s mourning bonnet: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Miss Harriet S. Smith, 1924.492  

Lynne Bassett speaking about mourning dress.
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Woman’s mourning dress, c. 1857–60
American
Black cashmere
Gift of Miss Harriet S. Smith, 1924.491

Woman’s mourning bonnet, c. 1860
American
Black silk taffeta with net veil
Gift of Miss Harriet S. Smith, 1924.492

Going into mourning following the death of a loved one was not universal, because the cost of a new wardrobe of sober black was expensive. But, for those who could afford it, mourning was guided by somewhat flexible rules as to duration and materials. This outfit was worn by Clarissa Cheney Savage (1794–1874) of Berlin, Connecticut, probably following the death of her husband in 1857. Etiquette suggested one year of mourning for a spouse.

Caroline Augusta Goodwin (c. 1840s) by Mrs. Henry Peters Gray (Susan Clark)Original Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift from the Estate of Miss Anne Wells Cheney through Clifford Cheney, 1944.269

Mrs. Henry Peters Gray (Susan Clark)
American, 1821–1877
Caroline Augusta Goodwin, c. 1840s
Watercolor on ivory, probably in a gold-over-copper or silver case with clasps attached to hairwork bracelet
Gift from the Estate of Miss Anne Wells Cheney through Clifford Cheney, 1944.269

This intricately braided bracelet forms a wide band, made with hair belonging to Julia Ann Goodwin (1824–1867), the original owner’s mother. The miniature depicts Julia’s sister, Caroline Augusta Goodwin (1822–1852). The artist was the wife of portrait and genre painter Henry Peters Gray (1819–1877), who became the second president of the National Academy of Design in 1870.

Vampire suit (detail) (c. 1990-2000) by Jean Paul GaultierOriginal Source: Collection of Richard Patrick Anderson

Romantic Revivals

While sentimentality and an interest in historical design continued for the rest of the century, the foundations of Romanticism crumbled with the rise of a new generation that accepted and embraced industrialization. The sewing machine, new pattern drafting systems, and machine-made laces all contributed to increasingly complex and restrictive dress fashions after the mid-1860s. But a revival of Romanticism in clothing design came quickly in reaction to those fussy styles, and since then, Romanticism in various forms has returned to fashion about once every generation due to cultural stresses and the customary cycling of design inspirations.Just as Romantic era clothing was inspired by the medieval and Renaissance past, the Goth and Steampunk fashion movements have grown out of a Romantic sensibility. Both are grassroots styles that started in the last quarter of the twentieth century and now provide inspiration for some of fashion’s leading designers.

Evening gown (1984) by Hélène HayesOriginal Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Gift of Susan E. O’Connor, 2013.28.5

Evening gown, 1984
Designed by Hélène Hayes (Australian, 1936–2001)
Velvet and silk
Gift of Susan E. O’Connor, 2013.28.5

Parisian couturier Hélène Hayes combined references to multiple historical periods in this Romantic evening dress. The puffed and slashed sleeves are modeled after Renaissance design, and the skirt draping is inspired by an eighteenth-century dress fashion called a “poloniase.” This dress appeared on the cover of Australian Vogue in 1984.

Saul and the Witch of Endor (1777) by Benjamin WestOriginal Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Bequest of Clara Hinton Gould, 1948.186

Benjamin West
American, 1738–1820
Saul and the Witch of Endor, 1777
Oil on canvas
Bequest of Clara Hinton Gould, 1948.186

Modern Goth culture is deeply rooted in the Romantic era. It draws upon the sublime in art, the Gothic horror literary genre, and the period’s spiritualism and morbid sentimentality about death. West, an early proponent of Romanticism, painted this work in response to a 1757 treatise by Edmund Burke, which described the sublime as “a response to terror, an aesthetic category the opposite of beauty.” In West’s depiction of this Old Testament story, King Saul prostrates himself in error as the Witch of Endor summons the ghost of the prophet Samuel, who tells Saul that he will die in his next battle.

Evening dress, "In memory of Elizabeth Howe, Salem 1692" (2007) by Alexander McQueenPeabody Essex Museum

Valerie Steele speaking about evening gown.
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Dress, 2007
Designed by Alexander McQueen (English, 1969–2010)
Velvet and satin
Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts. Gift of Anonymous donors in London who are friends of the Peabody Essex Museum, 2011, 2011.44.1
© 2012 Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA

Both Nathaniel Hawthorne and modern couturier Alexander McQueen had ancestors who were involved in the famous Salem witchcraft trials of 1692: Hawthorne descended from a judge and McQueen from a victim. Both drew upon these connections for their art. McQueen’s 2007 collection, “In Memory of Elizabeth Howe, Salem, 1692,” channeled Romantic historicism, terror, and emotion, adding power to his design aesthetic.

Coat/dress, belt and boots (Fall 2013) by Sarah BurtonOriginal Source: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2013.22.1–3a,b

Coat/dress and belt, fall 2013
Designed by Sarah Burton for the House of Alexander McQueen
Bonded felt and leather
Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2013.22.1–2

Boots, fall 2013
Designed by Sarah Burton for the House of Alexander McQueen
Leather
Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2013.22.3a,b

Sarah Burton now carries on the historical sensibility of the House of Alexander McQueen. She modeled the standing collar of this coat on that of a Renaissance cardinal’s robe, and the shoulder cape and buckles on a style popularly associated (erroneously) with the Pilgrims of the early seventeenth century. The flared sleeves and lacy cut-outs are inspired by mid-nineteenth-century Victorian fashions, which were themselves derived from sixteenth-century modes.

Vampire suit (jacket and jeans), Trench coat, Tattoo shirt, Belt, Chains, Bag, Wallet, and Boots Vampire suit (jacket and jeans), Trench coat, Tattoo shirt, Belt, Chains, Bag, Wallet, and BootsWadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

Valerie Steele speaking about vampire suit.
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Vampire suit (jacket and jeans), 1998
Cotton, lycra, and metal

Trench coat, 1998
Nylon, metal, and polyurethane

Tattoo shirt, 1994
Nylon

Belt, c. 1993
Metal

Chains, c. 1990
Metal and leather

Bag, 2000
Leather and metal
All objects above designed by Jean Paul Gaultier (French, born 1952)

Wallet, 2010
Sold at Hot Topic
Leather and metal

Boots, c. 2000
Manufactured by Dr. Martens
Leather, rubber, and cotton

Collection of Richard Patrick Anderson
Ensemble styled by Richard Patrick Anderson

Vampire suit (detail) (c. 1990-2000) by Jean Paul GaultierOriginal Source: Collection of Richard Patrick Anderson

Tales of vampires have existed for centuries, but the first vampires in literature appeared in early Romantic poetry by Lord Byron and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The earliest book on the subject was The Vampyre, by John William Polidori, published in 1819. Inspired by this Gothic idea, Gaultier (known as the “enfant terrible” of fashion for his irreverent style) created the “Vampire Suit.” The black jean jacket and pants have red flocking, suggestive of dripping blood.

Credits: Story

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art would like to thank our lenders to the Gothic to Goth exhibition whose works appear in this online exhibit:

Richard Anderson
Lynne Zacek Bassett
Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Conn.
Mary D. Doering
Mead Art Museum, Amherst, Mass.
Michele & Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts,
Springfield, Mass.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Mass.
Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Mass.
Thomas Shaw
Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Mass.
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute,
Williamstown, Mass.
Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford, Conn.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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