A Well-Fashioned Image: Clothing and Costume in European Art, 1500-1850 [Paperback]

Fashion—the question of what to wear and how to wear it—is a centuries-old obsession. Beyond superficial concerns with personal appearance, the history of dress points to deep preoccupations surrounding the social order, national identity, and moral decency. Produced in conjunction with an exhibition at the David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art (running from October 23, 2001 through April 28, 2002),A Well-Fashioned Imageinvestigates clothing and the representation of clothing from these various perspectives. This richly illustrated catalogue, the fourth in a series sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, features an introduction by co-curators Elizabeth Rodini, the Smart Museum's Mellon Projects Curator, and Professor Elissa B. Weaver of the University of Chicago's Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, which is followed by essays addressing the topic from a variety of perspectives. Also included are a substantial bibliography on the topic of costume in art and an exhibition checklist.

Elissa B. Weaveris a professor in the Department of Romance Languages and Literature at the University of Chicago, as well as the author ofConvent Theatre in Early Modern Italy: Spiritual Fun and Learning for Women.

Elizabeth Rodiniis the Mellon Projects Curator at the David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art.

Fashion—the question of what to wear and how to wear it—is a centuries-old obsession. Beyond superficial concerns with personal appearance, the history of dress points to deep preoccupations surrounding the social order, national identity, and moral decency. Produced in conjunction with an exhibition at the David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art (running from October 23, 2001 through April 28, 2002),A Well-Fashioned Imageinvestigates clothing and the representation of clothing from these various perspectives. This richly illustrated catalogue, the fourth in a series sponsored by tlÃ9