Flower in a vase-The Most Splendid Masquerade ball
The painting we used in the design of the dress “Flowers in full bloom” is from The National Gallery in London, Paul Theodor van Brussel's “Flower in a vase”.
The whole painting is composed of gorgeous flowers , decorated with ants, butterflies and other small insects on the petals. A delicate bird's nest is placed in the lower right corner of the vase, and The forest can still be seen faintly in the green background in the distance. The whole piece is luxurious and glamorous with a touch of nature and ruggedness. However, the seemingly natural or random placement of the bouquet is in fact the result of careful design by the artist.
First is its composition.The most expensive blue iris in the picture, the protagonist of the entire painting, is placed straight in the middle of the vase.Then from the pink roses in the lower left to the yellow tulips in the upper right, the flowers gradually rise along a straight line, forming a stable structure with the vertical irises. The curved stems and small flowers spread naturally around them, filling out the whole picture and creating a sense of artistic disorder.
Then comes the choice of flowers. In fact, all the flowers in the painting are not in bloom at the same time.Brussel sketches and records them as they bloom individually, and reassembles them as needed.Thus all the flowers are the result of careful calculations by the artist ,an entire artificial creation.
Painting “Flower in a vase” is a splendid masquerade ball. Lively atmosphere, a dazzling stage. All the actors were dressed in the most fancy dresses and wore mysterious masquerades to make their entrance. Some are passionate reds, some are elegant, cool blues, and some are lovely whites and pinks. No one knows exactly who they are or where they come from. All you can see is this chaotic but delightful ball full of all kinds of deceptions and secrets. This painting by Brussels is both a celebration of the richness of nature and a clever and deceptive illusion.
Floral still lifes painting-The symbol of wealth and sophistication
Painting “Flower in a vase”is a still-life painting, which was mainly developed in the Netherlands in the early 16th century.There are two main reasons that have driven the development of still life painting，First is the develpment of botany。Along with the thriving of maritime trade, there was a growing interest in plants brought from abroad. This led to the study of horticulture and research on the breeding of new floral varieties in various parts of the country, and the botanical paintings are also gaining in popularity.
The second reason is the demand from wealthy people due to the thriving of business and trade.For the aristocracy and wealthy merchants of the time, collecting paintings of rare plant species was a great way of displaying their wealth and cultural sophistication to the public. Still lifes paintings with expensive objects such as Chinese porcelain, Venetian glassware, silver tableware, jewelry, imported fruit and plants were the most popular kind, and those paintings were often displayed in the owner's living room. Large roses, blue irises, tulips in full bloom, no matter what season it is, in order to satisfy the desires and vanity of their clients, painters brought together all the flowers they could find in one single painting , and by carefully calculating the composition and colors, used their great skill to produce one exquisite work after another.
The Romantic tutu-Dreamy lightness
The shape of Dress “Flowers in full bloom” is derived from the ballet tutu, and is particularly influenced by 19th century romantic tutus.In 19th century France, ballet developed rapidly under the influence of Romantic literature and themes about fairies and fantasy worlds became popular.To express the lightness of this dreamlike world on stage, the bell-shaped romantic tutu was created.The taboo against exposing a woman's skin was gradually diminishing, and transparent fabrics that allowed the skin to be seen were gradually introduced into the design of dresses. If one recalls the beautiful dancers in their bell-shaped tutus, one must think of the work of the most faithful chronicler of these dancers, the 19th century French painter from Paris, Edgar Degas.
Dress “Flowers in full bloom” ：The small round neckline that reaches just to the collarbone, the tiny puff sleeves，The heart shape cuttng on the chest follows the curve of the body, It makes the body look more upright and the neck line as slender as a dancer's while giving a noble lady-like grace.The arms are made of a transparent material with a diamond pattern.The length, which covers the palm of the hand, created a feminine look and at the same time gives you an understated and reserved gentleness. Ruffled tulle that looks like a full bloomed petals at the wrist echoes the lower edge of the skirt, creating a light, soft texture to the dress as a whole.In the past ballet dancers used to wear pearl jewellery.To recreate the elegance of the dancers , the dress was designed with pearl textured buttons in the back and at the wrists.
When you walk around in this dress, the whole skirt will sway naturally with your body.Like a dancing ballet dancer, or a fairy playing among the flowers.with light and graceful steps, bright, lovely, yet beautiful as you move.
