Curious openwork partlet/chemise in portrait--check this out!

[gem]

I stumbled across this interesting 1526 portrait by Dutch artist Jan Gossaert (while looking for jewelry pictures for the thread in Garbing), and when I took a closer look via the helpful zoom, I noticed that one of the girls has the most unusual and intriguing treatment at the neckline of her partlet/chemise:



Those are large open *circles,* through which you can see her necklace beneath; there also appears to be a dark thread threaded through them all.

You can see an excellent zoom of it and take in all the details here:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/-4ymsYN_KMHw/TBeQQSugc3I/AAAAAAAAAxg/9POddgExCDs/Gossaert_three_royal_children.jpg

Has anyone seen anything else like this? Any idea how it might have been achieved?

[irish]

very interesting

[Butch]

Never seen this before.  Looks to me like the piece may be reinforced or starched; it looks stiff to me.  I would imagine one would reinforce the edges with fine blanket stitching or something like a large grommet.

How would that look for matching neckline and cuffs?

[Leyla]

So I generally just lurk around these forums, so please forgive the horrendously off-topic comment...

That picture is going to give me nightmares. Talk about creepy, ill-looking child. *Shudder*


Back to topic:
The partlet is curious though, I'm looking forward to seeing what other people have to say.

[operafantomet]

Has anyone seen anything else like this? Any idea how it might have been achieved?

It looks like a giant version of "broderie anglaise", where holes are made with a stitching awl, and thread are cast around the hole. This is repeated in various ways. This is typically how broderie anglaise will look:
http://www.ma-petite-brocante.com/1926-3935-large/napperon-broderie-anglaise-bordure-festonnee-sur-lin.jpg

What's curious is that the holes aren't repeated at the cuffs. But the round holes echoes her pearl necklace in a nice way.

[DonaCatalina]

It does look like there is a solid wide circle around each of the openings. That could be achiebed with white on white embroidery which would also stiffen it. The dark thread running through the middle could be a drawstring, could be decorative or could just stabilize the large openings into circles.

[arbcoind]

That picture is going to give me nightmares. Talk about creepy, ill-looking child. *Shudder*

Looks like a brother and two sisters.  They all have the ill look.

Gina

[Anna Iram]

This may be partly due to the artist's style. He does a whole series of Virgin and Child and the baby Jesus has a similar look in all of the depictions.

Sorry for the thread hike Gem.  I do find that chemise interesting. The thread is curious the way it is loosely woven through. Curious too about the brothers smock, with it's off center closure. Or is it just twisted?

[gem]

The sitter is believed to be a younger version of this girl:



...I think Gossaert was just afraid of babies. LOL I think her baby sister is adorable, btw. What marvelous garb for an infant girl (she says, hinting strongly to the three mums of brand-new or soon-to-be baby girls we have right now! )!

Wikipedia (via the LA County Museum of Art) has a great high-res photo of a Victorian child's smock/apron with similar broderie anglaise cutwork. Hit the zoom and take a look at the hemline--nice big circles.


(ETA: Link corrected; thanks, DC!)
This, weird as it is, is definitely going on my to-do list!

[DonaCatalina]

Wikipedia (via the LA County Museum of Art) has a great high-res photo of a Victorian child's smock/apron with similar broderie anglaise cutwork. Hit the zoom and take a look at the hemline--nice big circles.

This, weird as it is, is definitely going on my to-do list!

same photo, no hemline?