A review of Cheekwood's Gilded Age flower exhibit

By Imogen

Last week I had the privilege of traveling to Cheekwood to see their new Gilded Age flower exhibit. The exhibit was in partnership with Fleurs De Villes and runs from August 1st to August 9th. The exhibit is based on HBO's hit show The Gilded Age. The show currently has three seasons with a fourth on the way. You can still enjoy the exhibit without watching the show, but as someone who did watch the show, it is really fun to see your favorite characters. 

The show is set during the Gilded Age, which is a historical period from around the 1870s to the 1890s. It is characterized by extreme class disparities but also many technical advancements. In terms of fashion and art, there were many exciting things going on! When I think of Gilded Age fashion, the main thing that I think of is bustles. These were a type of undergarment that allowed the fabric to be bunched up to the back of the waist. There were two different "eras" of bustles. The first was from around 1868-1876. After this, bustles became much smaller until they came back into fashion around 1883-1889.

We see lots of bustles at the Cheekwood exhibit, as each flower sculpture is molded after a dress from the series. In total there were 12 characters represented, with one sculpture for each. Today, I want to share my personal favorites from the collection!

This sculpture is that of the character Gladys Russell. This was probably my favorite sculpture that I saw for several reasons. I love the deep red of her dress and how vibrant it is. I also love all of her accessories. We can see that she is carrying a parasol and a handbag, as well as wearing a hat. Combined with the long sleeves of her gown, this looks like something Gladys might wear to take a stroll around the garden or to go to a garden party. We can also see the illusion of a bustle, putting this dress in the 1880s.

This sculpture is of the character Ada. I love this one because of how well the purples and pinks blend together. I also love the white running down the center to help break up all of the purple. We can see here that the silhouette in the front is quite boxy. This was very common in the 1880s because the skirts were quite narrow in the front. However, we can see that the fabric bunches up and the skirt is fuller in the back. I also love the inclusion of a hat as it was an important piece of daywear in the 1880s.

The last sculpture that I am talking about is the one of Bertha Russell. Unlike the other two sculptures, this one is of evening wear. We can tell by her jewelry and lack of hat. Notice that the silhouette is also different than the two above. This skirt of this gown looks much more like something you would see in maybe the 1850s or 60s. The skirt is very full in the front instead of solely being full in the back. While it is plausible that this dress could have existed in the 1880s, I do find it a bit strange that a very wealthy woman is not wearing the latest fashion. With all of that said, I do truly love this piece, though. It is a magnificent piece of art and I love all of the different shades of yellow throughout the dress. It looks so opulent and luxurious.

 

An example of 1880s evening wear.

In conclusion, I truly did love this exhibition that Cheekwood put on. I thought it was a beautiful intersection of both fashion and art. I deeply admire all the care and work that went into making something like this possible and I love when fashion is treated like the art that it is. While not every single gown was historically accurate, I don't think that it has to be, nor was that the point of the exhibition. The show that it was based off of is not always historically accurate, either. Creative liberties were taken with the design of these flower gowns because that's what they are...gowns made of flowers. They are not made of fabric and therefore should not be treated as such. The creators of this exhibition made the choices they thought would best highlight the beauty of each flower and gown that they worked on, and for that I applaud them. Overall this was such a beautiful thing to get to experience and I am so impressed on how it all came together and the sheer beauty of it.

Until next time, sew a dress, paint a masterpiece!

Picture credits: 

-1-3: pictures were taken by author

-4: From the MET

Painting: Portrait of Marie Spartali Stillman at her easel by Ford Madox Brown

About the author: Imogen is a writer and lover of history. She is the founder of Clothing and Canvas, a blog dedicated to fashion and art history. When not writing for her blog, you can find her staring at pretty dresses and paintings, reading, knitting, or playing viola.