‘Persuasion: Fashion in the Age of Jane Austen’ @ NGV

‘Persuasion: Fashion in the Age of Jane Austen‘, at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), draws from the gallery’s own collection of not only garments but books, drawings and other items from the era.

Especially for the jewellery lovers, there is an amazing French parure of gold, silver-gilt and citrine (c.1820-27). It’s a little old-fashioned for my liking, but fascinating when seen alongside the garments of the time. The image on the left is from the NGV collection online, and the image on the right is from the exhibition (taken with permission; though it does suffer from underexposure due to no-flash policy).

The NGV exhibition media states:
“Persuasion: Fashion in the Age of Jane Austen looks at the changes in fashion that occurred over Austen’s lifetime, with a focus on English women’s fashion during the first two decades of the nineteenth century. Drawing on work from the National Gallery of Victoria’s holdings of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century fashion, prints and drawings, decorative arts and paintings, and complemented by key works from other Australian institutions and private collections, Persuasion broadly surveys the years from the 1770s to around 1830, one of the most dynamic periods in fashion.”

Clearly it is the fashion that is the main focus of this exhibition; and there are some very beautiful pieces.

The show has been covered here and by The Age.

My key observation: judging by the fashion included in this visual feast, the ladies of the first few decades of the nineteenth century all had lovely petite compact bosoms and liked to have dresses especially for ‘walking’.

‘Persuasion: Fashion in the Age of Jane Austen‘ is at the NGV until 8th November 2009.