About Style Imitating Art…
Style Imitating Art comes from Salazar, Terri, and Shelbee. Please make sure you visit each blog to see their SIA looks. You can think of it as fashion meets art museum! Style Imitating Art challenges people to find inspiration in different art works, create looks based upon that art work, and share them with the curator for that piece. Every other Monday one of the three selects an inspiration piece of art and posts the image on their blog. They then invite others to interpret that art work through their style. The following Monday, they share their outfits. The curator shares submissions the following Wednesday on her blog. Salazar chose this week’s art work. If you’d like, you can read why she chose it here. You can see a few of my looks here, here, here, and here!
Inspiration art work:
About the artist…
Charles Albert Walhain was born in Paris on November 3, 1877 and died on May 22, 1936. Just like his painting, I could find very little about him. His Wikipedia page is in French so I found myself copying phrases and putting them into Google translate! Walhain was also a sculptor. In addition to this, Walhain created the artwork for the 1927 Cérès et Mercure issue from Banque de France, a banknote which had been easily counterfeited (source). What a mysterious man!
About the artwork…
This is another painting I really like. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have an almost life size portrait? I would definitely want Walhain to paint it rather than Lucian Freud or even Salvador Dali. Although, come to think of it, a portrait by Dali would be quite a lot of fun and certainly would fuel conversation. But, back to this painting. It is an oil painting on canvas. It measures 82.7 x 49.4 inches (210 x 125.5 cm). Actually, that would be more than life size for me! It was signed by the artist and dated 1910. It appears to have been sold by Sotheby”s in 2013 for $15,000. And, that, my friends, is about all I can find on this painting! Is it just me, or does she have a bit of a resemblance to Lady Mary from “Downton Abbey”? I wonder if the dog was added as an afterthought. There doesn’t seem to be much connection between the two, but that is probably me just adding in my bias.
My interpretation…
While I really like this piece of art, I had a hard time coming up with something to wear! I finally decided to be fairly literal in my interpretation…or as literal as I could be given the only things I had remotely the same as the Countess was a pair of brown boots and a dog! I pulled out this April Cornell skirt, a denim shirt from Loft, and a denim dress from J Jill to recreate her riding outfit. I buttoned the shirt all the way down to give the impression of a waistcoat. I also buttoned it all the way up even though the Countess is wearing a completely different blouse/shirt/whatever. I used to have several of those big flower pins that were popular several years ago. I must have purged them one year as I was cleaning out drawers. Instead, I went with this rather graphic gold-toned one. Oops…I even forgot to add a hat! Of course, my favorite part of the whole look is Jack! He recently visited the groomer and is looking quite the gentleman in these photos!
The Lewk!
I was so flustrated with messing up this week that I didn’t grab current photos of my boots and jewelry. These are from old posts. I’m wearing the gold earrings from the first photo and the brown boots from the others.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
Well, this is a short one for me! I got my calendar completely messed up! I thought I had another week for the Ageless Style challenge which is the third week of the month. Guess what? That’s this week! So, the post I’d planned for Thursday I was going to do for today, but it really needs to be on Thursday which meant I didn’t have anything for today which meant I had to hurry up and get something together! Whew!!! And, that is probably my longest run on sentence ever! It just seems like there should have been more weeks between the start of February and this week! And, someone remind me the next time I think I want bangs…this is what happens! TIA!! So, can we talk? How would you feel about having a life size portrait of yourself on display? Would you hang it in public areas of your home or keep it in a special place? Ae you a calendar person, or do you fly by the seat of your pants like me? My pants are getting rather thin there! Please leave a comment or two, and we can talk! I will get back to you as soon as I can! Please do check back for my responses since I have yet to remedy that situation!
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Thank you!
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Where you can find me:
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, Doused in Pink, and I do deClaire and Mummabstylish. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties! Just a note…Traffic Jam is on a bit of a hiatus as I try to figure out how to continue it.
Interesting painting, or rather Interesting lady. She looks kind a modern, perhaps a woman who was ahead of her time.
Nancy, I never thought of her that way, but I think you’re right! I do like this painting a lot!
Hi Jack! He IS looking mighty handsome! I really like this outfit, too, Marsha. I love these colors together and the double denim on top is very cool and creates a beautiful contrast with your feminine floaty skirt. I would love to have a portrait but not a life sized one. That might be a little too much! In fact, I recently met a local painter and I am considering having him paint a family portrait for us. I think that would be so cool. I think he does it from a photo though which is fine by me because I could never sit and pose for a portrait…especially if they take as long as Lucian Freud! Haha. I think you did a wonderful job with this interpretation even though you felt rushed! And yes, how the heck is it the third week of February already? I start driving south on Saturday! Yay!
Shelbee
Thanks, Shelbee! Jack is a ham, but I could not get him to look at the camera when I wanted him to! I think that having a portrait painted from a photo would be a wonderful thing! I do hope you do it and post about it!
I love your interpretation of this art! The double denim is so chic and your cute pooch is the perfect accessory! Happy Valentine’s Day Marsha!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks so much, Kathrine! I’ve never done double denim before! It’s nice to have Jack to include in the photos!
I adore how you have interpreted this piece of art. The double denim is a very stylish look. I really like these colours together, and I think the double denim on top looks very unique. It also makes a lovely contrast with your flowy skirt.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
https://www.melodyjacob.com/2023/02/maximizing-student-success-through-balance-in-education-and-daily-life.html
Thanks, Melody! Would you believe this is the first time I’ve ever done the double denim thing? I do like the denim with the skirt!
That is a beautiful skirt and I love how you interpreted this painting into real life.
Thanks, Joanne! It was a struggle, but I loved featuring this skirt again!
I love your modern interpretation of this art piece. It is so cleaver and the denim pieces are great. Have an amazing week.
https://www.bauchlefashion.com/2023/02/inside-latest-heart-shaped-handbag-trend.html?spref=pi&m=1
Thanks so much, Heather! It was a tough one!
I love that you included your pup in this!!
And you just gotta put an editorial calendar near your computer set up, and look at it daily. It’s a lifesaver!! Trust me on this!
(I just use a free calendar from my alma mater that has big enough boxes for days to write in)
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
I do have a calendar I could use for that…maybe, just maybe, I’ll break it out!
Thanks, Jodie!
Hello! A very inspiring post!
Wonderful suggestions, I really like this style 🙂
Greetings from Poland!
Thank you so much, Klaudia!
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The denim-on-denim choice was an ingenious way to interpret her riding gear. Jack is just the cutest – he’s looking great after his visit to the groomer. I think a life size portrait of myself would freak me out a bit! As for the dachshund in the painting, perhaps the Countess saw the portrait and wasn’t satisfied until her beloved doggy was added to it 🙂
Thanks, Sally! It just came together at the last minute because I don’t have any skirt suits so that wasn’t going to happen anyway! I like the way you think…you make the Countess more likeable!
I love this outfit, Marsha! Very pretty. I had NOTHING for this challenge.
Michelle
https://funkyfashionstyle.com
Thanks, Michelle! I had to work hard for this one. It seems like the paintings I like best are the hardest!
This is great! I love how you updated the vintage style in the painting to make it work for today. Love the layers!
Thanks so much, Laura! It was definitely a stretch!
I think you did great! I can see the artwork inspiration in your outfit and that skirt has similar lines to the one in the painting. Btw, I really love that skirt!
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Thanks so much, Mireille! I am not 100% sure of this outfit and probably would never wear it again…at least with the denim dress as duster over it. Not quite my style, but the denim shirt with the skirt is a definite!
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