Dresses of Empress Elisabeth

[Zukunftsseele]

I don't know. Maybe it doesn't exist anymore at all. Who knows, after two wars and all that.

[Eric_Lowe]

I think one or two are in the Austrian Archives.

[Yelena Aleksandrovna]

Well, it seems to be an old newspaper article and photo, so it's not sure it still exists. Maybe somebody knows for sure.

That's true, I haven't thought about this!! This photo can be from not much time after Sissi's death. Well, I must correct my statement, I didn't imagine that there was a photo of the dress (I only can remember a painting of that event and the Empress wearing a black gown). I expect that it has survived to the two disastrous World Wars   More info about the whereabouts of it will be very welcome!  

[Eric_Lowe]

Some of the Empress's personal jewels did survive and were shown in the museum in Vienna.

[Zukunftsseele]

Some can be found in the "Jewels of the Habsburgs" thread:
http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=1764.0

[Zukunftsseele]

Well, it seems to be an old newspaper article and photo, so it's not sure it still exists. Maybe somebody knows for sure.

That's true, I haven't thought about this!! This photo can be from not much time after Sissi's death. Well, I must correct my statement, I didn't imagine that there was a photo of the dress (I only can remember a painting of that event and the Empress wearing a black gown). I expect that it has survived to the two disastrous World Wars   More info about the whereabouts of it will be very welcome!  

You mean the painting by Gyula Benczur, I guess:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2Q_6dbUROKs/TDM5DhfQ31I/AAAAAAAAM_I/KIX5LMR_cbw/DSCF8033-spec.jpg

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes. The dress she wore and the trunk show is identical.

[Yelena Aleksandrovna]

You mean the painting by Gyula Benczur, I guess:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2Q_6dbUROKs/TDM5DhfQ31I/AAAAAAAAM_I/KIX5LMR_cbw/DSCF8033-spec.jpg

Indeed Zukunftsseele, I was thinking at that portrait! I don't know any other painting of the same event (well, only a pair of drawings). The painting seems to be based really on the original dress (considering that many portraits were simply invented by the painters...)

Some can be found in the "Jewels of the Habsburgs" thread:
http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=1764.0

But no the ones used on the 1896 Millenium... am I wrong? :-?

[Eric_Lowe]

Sisi had a lot of black dresses. She wore most of this color in her later years.

[aor]

You mean the painting by Gyula Benczur, I guess:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2Q_6dbUROKs/TDM5DhfQ31I/AAAAAAAAM_I/KIX5LMR_cbw/DSCF8033-spec.jpg
[/quote]

I am thinking that this portrait is based on a photograph in order for the painter to get the all details of the dress right........

[Zukunftsseele]

Around that time, Elisabeth didn't allow any photos being taken of her anymore, so I doubt that.

[Eric_Lowe]

Based upon earlier photos or paintings. The black dress may be the one worn at that time.

[Yelena Aleksandrovna]

I am thinking that this portrait is based on a photograph in order for the painter to get the all details of the dress right........

Deffinitively the only photos of Sissi taken in old age were the ones that she didn't notice. Agree with Zukunftsseele that it isn't possible that she allowed to be photographed, not minding that the 1896 Millenium was an official event. What I think (only speculation of course) is that the painter surely based on a former photo or painting of Sissi (nothing strange at seeing all her portraits in old age, even worse the posthumus ones, like the one made by Lazslo at 1899, Sissi looks so young but wearing clothes of the time when it was made) and perhaps he got to see the real dress (or he was on the event, sometimes painters were on the events that they after painted) and perhaps with both things he made the portrait.... :-?

[Eric_Lowe]

Most likely he used an early portrait as model. The dress was well known since she did wore it for the event.

[Zukunftsseele]

Based upon earlier photos or paintings. The black dress may be the one worn at that time.

If so, then only based on earlier paintings. Because by the time she wore black, after Rudolf's death, she had already stopped having her photo taken.

I think with all the black dresses, it's nearly impossible to say which one she wore that day for sure. Another mystery to add to the Empress' life. ;-)