Decline of the Day” by Emperor Ham Nghi
Style Imitating Art is a group collaboration between Salazar, Terri, and Shelbee. Please do visit each of their blogs to see not only their SIA looks but other posts as well. For this collaboration, each of the contributors takes turns selecting an inspiration image. They then invite others to interpret that art work through their style. You can read more about the process on each blog. You can visit Salazar here to see why she selected this particular art.
Inspiration Art Work
About the artist
Depending on the source, Ung Lich was born in either 1870, 1871, or 1872. In 1884, he was crowned emperor of Annam, now known as Vietnam. Regardless of his birth, the young ruler was now known as Emperor Ham Nghi. This period was also a time of heavy colonization of less affluent countries. Emperor Ham Nghi came to the throne through the machinations of two regents, Nguyen van Tuong and Ton That Thuyet. These two men sought to control Annam through the young emperor and avoid French colonization. With Machiavellian calculations, the two convinced Ham Nghi to head an insurrection against the French which ultimately failed and led to his exile to Algeria in 1886. Interestingly, Ham Nghi was the eighth emperor of Vietnam’s last dynasty, the Nguyens.
Following the Emperor’s exile to Algeria, he explored different art media. He painted in oils and pastels as well as creating various pieces of sculpture. I couldn’t find an exact total of the number of paintings the Emperor created as many were destroyed in a fire at his home in Algeria in 1962. This particular art work is an oil painting and measures 14 in x 18 in (35 cm x 46 cm). A French collector currently owns “Decline of the Day.” The Emperor died on January 4, 1943 in Algiers, French Algeria.
My interpretation
I kept returning to this painting over and over again and wondering how I was going to pull off style imitating art. I love Impressionistic paintings. There are new details every time you look at them. What you think you see one time may be completely different the next time. I love the dreamy aura surrounding them. The soft colors of the sunset combined with the indistinct outlines of buildings and landscape left me with no other choice than an April Cornell dress. In my mind, I thought this was the perfect dress. But, I kept seeing the pinks, blues, and greens, and this dress didn’t have all of those colors. So, I continued to try to come up with something better. In the end, I should have listened to my head and spared myself some time because I think this dress fulfills the challenge quite well. I added the oversized scarf for that touch of pink.
The Lewk
With the exception of the scarf, all of these items are old. The earrings and all of the bracelets are old eBay finds. The necklace might be from Coldwater Creek when there were brick and mortar stores. The boots are from Born (I seriously love these and their sister, the black pair). Last fall when we visited the Franklin Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio, I picked up this gorgeous scarf at the J Jill in a huge outdoor mall somewhere near Columbus. I’ll be honest. It’s a bit difficult to wear as it’s really large and pretty substantial. It is beaded, has fringe, and different interesting bits and bobs.
Not quite there yet, but…
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Wrap it up, Marsha!
When I saw this particular art work, I thought it would be the easiest of all! I was so wrong. I know some people pick one color or a vibe (did y’all know that’s a thing now) and go with that for these Style Imitating Art challenges. I’m more of a really try hard to match the art work kind of blogger! I’m sure, as I do more of these, I will include looks inspired by the art work rather than a matchy matchy kind of thing. What do you think? Do you think my style imitated the art well? Would you have left the scarf off? Let’s have a conversation. Please leave a comment or two! I will respond as quickly as possible! Thanks to all of you for reading and joining me in my “artistic” endeavors!
Where I frequently link up:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, My Bijou LIfe, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag and Doused in Pink. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs!
You did great! The dress looks beautiful on you, but my favorite is the scarf! It’s gorgeous!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Thanks, Lovely! This scarf is even better IRL! I love it!
Marsha, this dress is absolutely perfect for the challenge! And I love the addition of your scarf for adding a touch of pink. But back to the dress…green is my forever favorite color and this shade of green is magnificent. I love the floral print and maxi shirt dress style. I would totally wear this dress as a duster/jacket/kimono layered over something else and left unbuttoned! I love, love, love it!
Shelbee
Thanks, Shelbee! I really did think the floral print had some pink in it! Adding the scarf was kind of a last minute detail. I wear many of my April Cornell dresses as dusters…they’re just too pretty to languish in their closet!
No I would not have left the scarf off! That is a beautiful scarf and it brings in those darker tones of the painting so well.
Thanks, Joanne! I love the scarf and thought it looked good!
The scarf definitely adds that tone of pink/mauve that is in the artwork. I always love to see how each person’s interpretation is different!
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Thanks, Mireille! I really thought the dress had some pink in it! But, the scarf added that extra something to the look!
I love this green floral print! And the dress length is so fun to play with!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Thanks, Ashley! I will probably hem it before summer. It is just a bit too long!
I think you did a fabulous job with this SIA. Sometimes something jumps out at you to wear when you see one of these paintings, but I agree, this one was hard.
And happy birthday to you hubby!!
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Thanks, Jodie! I’ll tell him! I should know by now to stick with my gut. This dress instantly popped into my mind when I saw the painting!
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The dress looks beautiful on you.
Annie
Annies Food Diary
Thanks so much, Annie! It is a gorgeous dress, that’s for sure!
Love the floral print and styling. The whole look with this outfit is just a perfect piece of art. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Mariann! That is very kind of you to say! I don’t know why I questioned myself so much!!
This a perfect interpretation of the art work! With green and beige in the dress, and the new scarf, you’ve pulled out all the colors. And with the dress being floral, it speaks to the outdoor scene. Lovely! Oh and you look fabulous to boot!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Thanks, Michelle! As soon as I saw the painting, I thought of this dress. But, I kept thinking something else would be better. I should just listen to my gut for these challenges! And, I’m so glad you enjoyed my kindness post. I should try to figure out a way to print it…or at least all of the quotes!
You really captured the colors from the painting. I love the earth-tone colors in the dress. The scarf is beautiful, and it echoes the muted colors in the painting perfectly.
Carol
http://www.scribblingboomer.com
Thanks, Carol! I think this is one of my favorites! I wasn’t sure about the scarf, but it does definitely add the other colors.
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