As part of the National Trust for Scotland’s Wednesday evening lecture series, I’ll be talking about the preparation, skills and techniques that went into re-creating a 1760s long sack gown (robe à la française) modelled on the one painted by Allan Ramsay in his portrait of Katherine Mure of Caldwell.
From analysing colours, researching the properties of pigments versus dyestuffs and sourcing suitable textiles to training volunteer stitchers and working on a live model, join me in crossing the barrier between stitchers and visitors to see what we did and how we did it.
I’ll also talk about the role of re-creative practice and interpretation in supporting the NTS’s mission, making the right kind of impact on visitors, and producing a lasting legacy on which the Georgian House can build in the future.
Book tickets to this in-person talk here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-canvas-to-silk-making-a-mid-18th-century-gown-tickets-903693129477.
The ‘Ramsay and Edinburgh Fashion’ exhibition will still be running on the day of this event, so do come earlier in the day to see it in full.
EXHIBITION DATES: 7 June - 26 November 2024
VENUE: The Georgian House NTS, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4DR, Scotland (UK)
About the exhibition: “This exhibition brings together, for the first time, a collection of Allan Ramsay’s portraits of women from NTS properties in the Edinburgh area. Set against the backdrop of the fashion trades, this exhibition demonstrates how vital it was for a portrait painter to be familiar with dress styles, materials and accessories in the mid-18th century. Fashion was a key signifier of good taste. We move from an early 1739 portrait of a young heiress to a 1769 painting of an Edinburgh society hostess to reveal how Ramsay used clothing to reflect a sitter’s personality. New research lays out the trades involved in fashion – from the milliners to the mantua-makers – along Edinburgh’s High Street, and sets this against the fashion for portraiture in the mid-18th century.”
You can find details about the Georgian House's opening times and ticket prices on the NTS website: https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/georgian-house.
Full details of the Ramsay & Edinburgh Fashion exhibition are at https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/georgian-house/highlights/ramsay-and-edinburgh-fashion-exhibition.
Training workshop, April 2024. Photo by Leia Caldwell for National Trust for Scotland.