18th Century Robes à la Française

Last updated: Jan 5, 2024

  • Christie’s Lot 282 / Sale 5422, a sack-back open robe of shell pink silk, brocaded with a purple floral sprig and heavily embellished with cream fly braid
  • FIT 2006.56.2, silk brocade, France or Italy, c. 1735
  • Modemuseum Hasselt 1993.0203, blue silk brocade, c. 1735
  • Köln 1935/634 front and back, c. 1735-1780
  • MFA 43.647a, morning dress in 2 parts, floral and fruit designs brocaded with polychrome silk threads on brown silk satin and lisere ground; trimmed with ruching; France, c. 1740 with later alterations
  • Met 1995.235a,b, Robe à la Française, silk painted in Holland or Germany mimicking chinoiserie, England, 1740s
  • LACMA M.2007.211.928, cream silk satin with silk- and metallic-thread supplementary weft-float patterning with Chinese-style design, Amsterdam, c. 1740-1760
  • MRAH, silk, c. 1741-1760
  • MRAH, silk (interior view only), c. 1741-1760
  • KSUM 1983.1.24 (1983.001.0024 a-d), a robe à la française (dress, petticoat, and stomacher with a matching pocket) in white moire brocaded with floral sprays and trimmed with chenille, English, c. 1748-1752
  • Met C.I.62.28a,b, robe believed to have belonged to a young girl, patterened light blue ribbed silk, brocaded in polychrome silks, metallic gold, and silver, France, mid-18th century
  • Köln 1934/146, front and back, brocaded silk, made in Rhineland c. 1750
  • Van Zuylen collection, silk, c. 1750
  • Köln 146/34, front, back, front, c. 1750
  • Colonial Williamsburg 2020-140, “cream-colored damask gown with matching petticoat,” English, c. 1750-1760
  • Dress, possibly worn by Isobel Dick of Grange, 1750s; “The material is mauve shot silk and it is decorated with brocaded flower sprays. To save expensive fabric, the back of the petticoat is of a cheaper material.”
  • MRAH, green silk in a palmette pattern, c. 1750-1800
  • MRAH, c, 1750-1800
  • MRAH 2373/Tx.2372, moire silk, includes compere and close-up photo of decoration, c. 1750-1800
  • Colonial Williamsburg 1989-330,1, cream silk with floral pattern in red, green, purple, yellow, and blackish-purple, Virginia, c. 1750 (altered c. 1775)
  • Museum of London 35.35/1, 1751-1770; “A bright yellow Chinese silk damask dress. The robings, folds running alongside the edge of the bodice, and falling cuffs are trimmed with matching ruched ribbon. Cut in one piece with a falling-front skirt, sack-back, and provision for hoops, an underskirt stiffened with whalebone or bone to provide the desired shape. The bodice and sleeves are lined with natural plain-weave linen; the skirt is half-lined with rough, tabby weave cream English worsted. The fabric is a typical Chinese silk damask in its pattern. The gown shows alteration at the back of shoulders as if the bodice was lengthened at this point.”
  • Philadelphia Museum of Art 1988-83-1a--c, silk-brocaded satin, France, c. 1755-1760
  • PHM 85/2801, England, 1755-1765; “A sack-back open robe of white silk brocade with a silver thread pattern of bows, ribbons and flowers. It has a square neck at front with a box pleat at each side extending to a waistline that curves down slightly at centre front. A matching stomacher fills in the front panel. The back has two double box pleats at centre. The elbow length sleeves have a frill with pinked edge and two layers of curved, scalloped frills falling from the elbow towards the back. The skirt is open at the front, the edges falling away from the waist towards the sides of the skirt. A cream silk underskirt, ungathered, fastens with front ties and has ties spaced around the waist to secure it. The visible front panels are of silk brocade.”
  • V&A T.16&A-1961, sack back gown in chiné woven silk, lined with linen, trimmed with fly fringe, c. 1760
  • Rijksmuseum BK-1978-248, yellow silk dress with purple floral scrolls, c. 1760
  • Whitaker Auctions Fall 2016 Lot 550, Robe a la Francaise, 18th century: “Open gown of Chinese cerulean blue silk woven with a large-scale white and platinum floral, having elbow length sleeve with lobed triple cuff gathered into a ruched band, square neckline, bodice front panel with self buttons, trimmed with furbelows edged in silk fly braid, sacque back, pleated skirt side panels with pocket slits, back lacing bodice lining in various cottons, the front printed in a red windowpane.”
  • LACMA M.60.36.1, sack gown in chiné silk taffeta, France, 1760s
  • Bijlokemuseum 159, striped silk, c. 1760-1770
  • MRAH, silk, includes lace accessories, c. 1760-1770
  • LACMA M.90.83a-b, linen with chain-stitched wool embroidery; France; textile circa 1750, constructed circa 1760
  • LACMA M.79.118a-b, yellow silk plain weave with weft-float patterning and silk with metallic-thread supplementary-weft patterning, England, c. 1760
  • V&A T.593:1 to 5-1999, sack back gown in Chinese painted silk, trimmed with silk net and bobbin lace, England, c. 1760-1765
  • V&A T.426&A-1990 sack back gown, silk and linen, Great Britain, 1760-1765
  • LACMA M.56.6a-b, silk plain weave (faille) with silk and metallic-thread supplementary weft patterning, France or England, c. 1760-1765
  • V&A 700-1864 (sleeve detail with fly fringe), sack back gown, with good detail of the fly fringe, Great Britain, 1760-1765
  • Christie’s Lot 110 / Sale 5318, an open robe and petticoat of pink silk brocaded with a rambling green vine, trimmed with fly braid on open robe and petticoats, 1760s
  • V&A T.122-1957 (sleeve detail), sack back gown of blue silk damask, Great Britain, 1760s
  • Christie’s Lot 117 / Sale 5318, a sack-back open robe with petticoats, the azure blue silk woven with a polychrome floral bouquet and ribbon motif, the robe with ruched trim and flybraid detail, the sleeves with exaggerated deep ruffle, with matching petticoat, c. 1760s
  • FIT P84.8.1, violet and pink iridescent silk brocade, c. 1760-1769
  • Newport Historical Society 98.2.5 A-G, dress, c. 1765; “Ivory silk saque-back gown and petticoat made of a complex brocade with red, pink and white flowers and bands of horizontal ivory ribs. Fabric was most likely woven in Spitalfields, England. Sleeve ends are tiered and ruffled; white silk fly fringe trim affixed to collar, center front, sleeves, and petticoat hem. Stomacher is made of red silk with gold embroidery.”
  • Philadelphia Museum of Art 1981-9-1, silk taffeta woven with stripes and vines, France, c. 1760-1770
  • LACMA M.57.24.7a-b, Robe à la Francaise for Court (Sack Gown), silk taffeta with flush pattern in filé, frisé and plate metallic foil-wrapped thread, England; textile woven late 1740s to early 1750s, gown constructed c. 1760-1770
  • Meg Andrews 6986, pale pink mauve shot silk taffetta brocade, c. 1760-1770
  • Meg Andrews 7949, a Spitalfields silk taffeta sack-back made in the 1760s and remodeled in the 1780s
  • KSUM 1983.1.8 ab, robe à la française in yellow silk taffeta, England or France, c. 1760s-1770s
  • Met 25.12a-c, robe à la française, silk, England, 1760-1780
  • Philadelphia Museum of Art 1981-9-3a,b, silk taffeta with multicolor stripes, France, c. 1765-1780
  • LACMA M.59.24.1a-b, metallic thread brocaded silk taffeta, England, c. 1760-1765
  • Met 2001.472, robe à la française, pale blue silk satin with hammered silver floral brocade and silver bobbin-lace trim, France or Austria, c. 1765
  • LACMA M.2007.211.929a-d, silk plain weave (faille) with silk and metallic-thread supplementary-weft patterning, England, c. 1765
  • Colonial Williamsburg 1954-67,1, plain-woven cotton block printed in a design consisting of clusters of flowers with buds and foliage on trunk-like stems, c. 1765-1780
  • Met 1999.41a, b, robe à la française, ivory silk damask, c. 1770
  • LACMA M.2007.211.718, cotton and linen, block-printed and dye-painted, with silk passementerie, France, c. 1770
  • Köln ??, front and back, c. 1770
  • Colonial Williamsburg 1968-646,1, heavy ribbed ivory silk brocaded with silver gilt and bright silks in an undulating vine pattern of scrolling gilt leaves, exotic flowers, thorny stems, and naturalistic rose buds; England, c. 1770
  • Colonial Williamsburg 1990-12,1, ivory silk brocaded with silver gilt threads in large and small flowers, England, dress remodeled c. 1770
  • Met C.I.61.34a,b, robe à la française, shell-pink faille brocaded with polychrome floral bouquets, France, c. 1770
  • MFA 43.1643a-c, woman’s dress in three parts, in silk canelle patterned with weft floats and brocaded with silk thread, France, c. 1770
  • Hampshire CRH1969.107/1-2, silk taffeta brocade, c. 1770-1775
  • Modemuseum Hasselt 1995.0148, ecru silk brocade, 1770-1775
  • Kunstmuseum Den Haag 0555923, light blue silk satin, c. 1770-1775
  • DAR 2013.20.A, plaid silk taffeta in pink and cream, 1770-1778
  • V&A T.471 to B-1980, striped silk with floral chenille embroidery and fly fringe, Britain, c. 1770-1779
  • Christie’s Lot 303 / Sale 5422, a fine and rare embroidered court gown, fine white Indian muslin with silver metal embroidery, the robe sack-back with train and scalloped cuffs to the sleeves, matching ruched robings, the cuffs and robings edged in delicate silver thread chain; the matching petticoat of silk to the upper back and tiered at the front bottom; the stomacher to a linen ground and trimmed with wide silver tape, 1770s
  • Kyoto Costume Institute AC7621 92-34-2AB, glazed linen wih blue print, France, 1770s
  • LACMA M.67.8.71, moire silk with fly fringe and linen lining, England, 1770s
  • Amsterdam Museum KA 12978.1/2, light green silk with woven stripes and a floral pattern in white, pink, and red, c. 1770-1780
  • Christie’s Lot 3335 / Sale 4981, a striped silk satin open robe and petticoat, sack-back gown of cream silk woven with a deep mauve stripe and a small floral vine motif, with stomacher panel of the same silk, the gown decorated with ruching and flybraid; and with a matching petticoat, France, 1770s
  • LACMA M.59.12a-b, striped silk, England or France, c. 1770-1780
  • MFA 43.1633a, court dress with floral motifs painted on silk taffeta, France, 1770s
  • PMA 1981-9-2a,b, striped silk, c. 1770-1780
  • Colonial Williamsburg 1991-472,A, cream silk brocade with red and green roses, England, c. 1770-1780
  • Augusta 8.4828.84.117, pink silk brocade robe a la francaise, 1770-1780; “Sack back open gown of rose pink ribbed silk brocaded with scattered multicolored flower sprays and small cream flower sprigs, looped cream silk fringe trim, bodice with pendant self fabric bands to cross-over and pin under arms, center front eyelets forlacing, skirt knife pleated to bodice, interior linen waist tapes and loops for polonaise effect, homespun linen bodice and sleeve linings, hem deeply faced with soft cream China silk”
  • Colonial Williamsburg 1999-247,A-C, cream silk striped textile brocaded with small rose sprigs scattered over stripes, England, c. 1770-1780
  • Augusta 1.286.407.286, rose slk sack-back open robe, 1770-1785; “Dress & petticoat of ombre cream to dark rose narrow stripes, brocade all over w/ white blossoms, large spray of roses & small clusters of colorful flowers, trimmed w/ ivory fly fringe, elaborate ruched self fabric scrolls on petticoat, bodice originally worn w/ stomacher, triple tierred sleeves & double ruffle embroidered engageants, bodice linen lined”
  • From Fitting & Proper: “Woman’s gown and petticoat, c. 1770-90, a sacque back, open-fronted gown and matching petticoat of pale turquoise silk satin, trimmed with self fabric ruching and flounces, lined with beige linen and white mohair … said to have been worn by Ann Rowan Penrose, wife of John Penrose of Philadelphia, to George Washington’s inaugural ball in New York, held on May 7, 1789”
  • Christie’s Lot 266, Sale 5422, a fine apricot silk sack-back open robe, the silk satin woven with a white stripe, with pale blue and rose pink floral motif, embellished with multicolour fly braid to robings and deep cuffs, lined with vivid yellow silk to the skirt and ticking to the bodice, France, c. 1775
  • FIT P82.27.1, ivory silk brocade, France, c. 1775
  • Philadelphia Museum of Art 1955-98-6a,b, silk tobine (cannelè) brocaded with colored silks, America; silk woven in Lyon c. 1760-1765, dress made in c. 1760-65 and altered late 1770-1780
  • V&A T.332-1985 (detail of “wide lengths of gathered net … arranged in a straight line on either side of the gown opening”), muslin sack back gown, France, 1775-1780
  • Rijksmuseum BK-15996-A, European-made polished chintz, 1775-1785
  • Met C.I.61.13.1a,b, robe à la française, silk, 1775-1800
  • Bijlokemuseum 164, silk satin, c. 1780
  • MRAH 3216, c. 1791-1800