Enfilade

Now on view at Ham House near London:

A Stitch in Time
Ham House, Richmond, 10 February — 29 April 2018

Anonymous artist, after Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, Portrait of Marie-Antoinette in a Chemise Dress, after 1783, oil on canvas (Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art).

Earlier this year, BBC Four broadcasted the documentary A Stitch in Time. Presenter Amber Butchart and a team of expert tailors headed by Ninya Mikhaila, took inspiration from works of art and recreated historical clothing using only authentic methods. The six costumes created come to Ham House this spring, allowing visitors to see the intricate work of costumier Ninya Mikhaila and her team up close.

The six costumes include:
• Charles II from a painting at Ham House by Thomas Stewart (from the collection at Ham House)
• The dress from the Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck at the National Gallery
• The Hedge Cutter leather jacket from a portrait at Broughton Castle
• The dress of Dido Elizabeth Belle from a painting at Scone Palace
• The Jupon of the Black Prince from the effigy at Canterbury Cathedral
• Marie Antoinette’s Chemise à la Reine from a painting by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

From left to right: Harriet Waterhouse, Ninya Mikhaila, Amber Butchart, Hannah Marples

A Stitch in Time can be viewed in the UK via the  BBC iPlayer. The show is not available in the US, but some episodes have been uploaded to YouTube.