The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1847-10-15

coSCLuDED. ...
But less this should be thought TOO hard upon the
young il is evident that some choice left to Them
especially in the way Of hrad-dress This Is seen in
the drawings of Catherine Howard, of the Lady
Audley and of the exquisite Lady OF Richmond with
her downcast eyes where small clrclet with drape
ry pendent from II fits about halfway of the head
advancing over the ears and fastening under the chn
the hair being divided down the centre, and laid in
simple bands low on the cheeks. This is head
dress which the youngest beauty would fndit no hard
ship 10 adopt while 10 show howmuch the costume
makes the painter, Holbeins pencil Is as graceful
here il il had been guided by Eastake The part
lei TOO was made TO come dress occasions as we
see in Anne Boleyn's and Jane Scymours pictures
The square form of the stomacher showing the bust
10 advantage; and even when on, n button or two
left uniasened answered the same purpose.
Queen Catherine Parr by Hoben is good model
also for those ladies who though not precisely in the
yellow Leaf, are somewhat on the tnrn Catherine her
sell not being above thirty years of age al the time
Her dressis black in ample folds about the person.;
the throat seen though the bust is covered slender
border OF hair visible beneath the cosc-sitng ma
IRONY hood;-while the drapery pendent from it, and
the large busting sleeves get rid ofa that precision
OF outline which no one has any occasion to show or
see. =. .ar. .'',..
From Holbein to Vandyke we may reckon cen
tlry; for the died in 1854, and the other in l64l
and no century in English history shows such COM
picte revolution in female costume. In Queen Eliza
beth, about half way between them, with her enor-
nous ruffs, hideous wigs, alegorical garments and
equally oVerladen and exposed person. we the
preventative Of all that extravagant, tas,eess
and indelicae; and in the Queen of Scots with her
sweet hood, small lawn ruff high sombre Dress and
al Of I,hn spi,,,
pie, graceful and decorous:-Each the head of n
fashion OF which our galleries afford us plenty Of spe-
cimens; the elder and the palmer portion of the
mummy, perhaps oltener initiating the tolles of her
spins'cr Majesty than the prophecies Of the widowed
Mary, and rice rersd;--a circumstance under
stand, especially observable at some late Fancy
Balls. -. DID,. ~.
Still there remains general picture on the mind
for the diversities Of form were endless Vandvke
like Hoben, seemed TO lock the wheels Of fashion
for a time, and has bequcathed distinct type The
experimentation Of those who had sat for Hoben
now sal 10 him, but as differently appareled as can
wen De Imagined. Hair playing drapery flowing
dropping aces delicate linens glossy sks--the stiff
wide, standing peticoat suppanted by a slender
heightened ran-the head the throat, the bust, the
arms al bare-the contour OF the figure all given ex-
cept where some rich drapery, secure in its own
strength and gltcring in its own light wandered APP
pafeniy al random across the figure, and either
caught up by massive aigrette or fell in ponderous
folds beow-a costume of apparent case but of inf
mite cafe-graccul, natural, wihal little indecorous
one which Vandyke alone seems to have been en-
titled to paint and the young and the lovely to wear
instead OF the mean average ota ladys age being
rated al fifty and upwards it fell to fifteen and un-
der; for some of Vandykes female portraits have even
almost an infantine appearance aad with their play
full hair curling all the head, their short waists
tight pearl necklaces, thin transparent skins anc
wandering aress eyes and their fair busts with onl,
roso by way of a tucker, they remind us Of some
round chesed child who has Outgfown her frock OF
of those waxen dolls, with expansive pink necks,
which lie about without shame and chensetes in
theopen shops. ...... ,..... -..e. .a.
But, as we have explained before, costume which
is the special friend of youth and beauty is terrible
tyrant to old age and LONELINESS. Any covering Of
Nature is better than any imitation of her and nta
lions there will be when Nature herself is the Fash
ion. All whom she refused TO help now did as they
do still and ever will do--they helped themselves
Those who had neither fine hair nor fine complex.
ions wore false; and what they could not mend they
did not cover the more for that. We hardly remcn.
Der any very old women by Yandykc except such as
his lnfanas of Spain and his Margaret Of Parma
who are painted in their conventual garnents but
mere are plenty OF specimens of time of life for
DESPERATELY
season. His Aalhea Talbot is IN example She
had evidently always been ugly, and apparently ne
yer been young. Nevertheless she is represented
with her hair curling all her head and low on
to her eyebrows decided wig-her cheeks douby
painted, first by herself and then by Vandyke-a
heavy double chin-i dress seduously OPEN and all
deterioration of quality carefully made I'D for by
proportonate increase Of quantity Doubtless fine
Vandyke, but, for all that, u quiz Even the heroic
Charlotte de la Tremouilc Countess of Derby whose
young and graceful picture by Jansen was one of the
greatest attractions at the British Gallery last sum-
meri appears, when sitting TO Vandyke with at least
Ten years thrown oft her Dress and many more than
that added TO her age. I'D.
1t must be admitted, too, that the airy rinoletty
style oil couture which is one of the distinctive marx
OF this painter was only becoming even in the Young
10 inc most "Vanesccnt species Of beauty To the
higher styles Of physiognomy il can never have been
favorable. II suited small delicate features and wax
On competitions, where il played in light golden or
cneshnt curls and cast violet shadows on pink fore
heaus' II became the round peary Flemish faces,
Always ialf ana always fat Of Terburgs and Netsch-
ers ladies' who generally appear in this couture. Ii
did wen ior faces like trim little villas which NAV be
oVergrown with creepers or oycrhunp with willows
out me features like fine mansions, want space
around them, and least of nil can th, smooh exr,,oo
o.
quire the relief Of still darker masses If hair ,nd
dark massive hair Is meant to lie angudly in grand
easy forms, and not 10 twist and tvr md a,,nd nm
uptoe IN trivial and transparent curls. We prudee
tue hne ioreheads that have been frittered av,v bv
this couture and long to lift up all that smotbcrnn
fringe, and throw'open the upper lights of the faee
Honthorsrs picture of the Queen Of Bohemia il
specimen of this. She has the finely pronouncod
features, deep melancholy eyeids, and prophetic OK.
preston of Charles L.. face, when Young, TO bovr
bound with Classic fille like Cassandrn-,,h.r
old, TO have swathed in drapcry like one of Mich,e
Apgelo's Faes--or ut any age to have crowned win
royal diadem like Queen as she has been, hu
which, as here given, with the dark heavy hair ILL,
curtain halfway down, hanging in a straight lin,
over her eyebrows and doubtless truer to reality thu
than in Vandyke's lighter forms, looks as if all I'M
real expression Of the face We're quenchcd-as If Tx
herself, il had been deprived Of its native rights an,
inheritance. .#
This couture continues into the time of Charles II
only tharthe little curls hang longer and loosor, an
tb1 ,,Ft h,,..