History of costume design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

History of costume design - Essay Example Born in Moscow in May of 1816, Princess Leonilla Ivanovna Bariatinskaya married Prince Ludwig Zu Sayn Wittgenstein on October 23, 1834 at Castle Marino and became Princess Sayne Wittgenstein Sayn. Their marriage existed between the year 1799 and 1866. Princess Leonilla was a remarkably attractive woman whose beauty garnered the attention of many artists, all of whom produced portraits of her. In 1843, Winterhalter was commissioned to paint Princess Leonilla’s portrait. At the time, she was married to Prince Ludwig Aldof Friedrich. . In 1833, she sat for Winterhalter for an oval portrait that featured her shadowed face, contrasting dark hair and opaline skin, and magnificent pearls. He also painted her again in 1849.2 It is the Portrait of Leonilla, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, however, that overshadows all other paintings. Winter halter employs an art style known as Romanticism in which he ‘humanizes’ his clients. By being more objective about the features of his subject’s, he can bring out their unique and natural beauty. Franz Xaver Winter halter was famous for his glossy and daring portraits of German royalty. Born to a peasant stock in a small village in the Back Forest in Germany, the young Winterhalter developed an interest in art. At the age of 13 years, Winterhalter began training in art through an apprenticeship. It is here that Winterhalter first learned the practice of engraving. He then relocated to Munich to further study painting, living off of his lithography earnings. . Winterhalter’s art career was ignited in 1828 when the Grand Duchess of Baden commissioned him to do a portrait. This became the commencement of a chain of royal court paintings which spanned the globe from Italy to France to Russia.3 The young artist’s success sparked many onlookers to comment that his portraits appeared unusual and unconventional. Despite this hurdle, Winterhalter developed a favorable reputation for his skillfulness at combining