Costume

(kos-toom'.) [Fr.] (Fine Arts.) The study ofC. requires, on the part of the artist, the observance of propriety in regard to the person or object represented; an intimate knowledge of countries, their history, manners, and customs; the vestments peculiar to each cla ; their physiognomy, complexion, their ornaments, arms, furniture, .; all should be conformable to the scene of action and its historical period. The observance of correct C. is a great merit in an artist, but, however, does not meet with that earnest attention that its importance demands. We have made C. a special feature in this Encyclopedia, but in this present article, having only lines at command when the subject would require volumes, we can but suggest the great variety it presents, and point out the best sources for further information. Egyptian monuments give us the earliest representations of ancient life; and so abundant and varied are the scenes exhibited by these antique artists, that we are by their means perfectly conversant with the fashions and modes of life of the Pharaohs, when Joseph and the patriarchs were in that land. There is scarcely a Scriptural allusion to any circumstance or thing that does not meet with a pictured proof in these remarkable works. The great refinement of life in those ancient days is visible in all the in-door scenes, as well as in the costume of characters moving in the higher circles (Fig. 215); an abundance of jewelry, embroidery, and rich colors is visible. Among 2 1 Fig. 215.- EGYPT. 1, A Prince. 2, Royal Attendant. the poorer cla es, that simplicity which still reigns in the East, and which restricts the dre to little more thana girdled tunic, longer or shorter, according to sex, is remarkable (Fig. 77). Children were going entirely naked. (See Manners and Customs of the Anc. Egyptians, by J. G. WILKINSON.) The Jews, and other nations of the same remote særa, are occasionally introduced in their sculptures and paintings; and there is a sufficiency of marked character in feature and dre to distinguish them from their delineators. The sculptures and paintings at Beni-Ha an, and the representation of the victories ofSesostris and others of their sovereigns, supply full details on these points. Ancient As syria has almost miraculously revived an equal knowledge of its private life and manners, as well as its public greatne , its expeditions and wars, in the bas-reliefs exhumed in this century by the persevering efforts of France and England. The minute truthfulne of the A yrian sculpture is most remarkable (see Fig. 134); the smallest portion of dre and its acce ories are all delineated with the utmost care, from an ear-ring to a shoe-tie; and are of the greatest value as pictures of life in Nineveh and Perse polis; (see Nineveh and Perse polis, by M. Vaux.) Ancient Greece has left an abundance of authorities to guide the modern artist in his representation of any scene he may choose from its former history. The numerous works devoted to their art will present an abundance of material for the painter's use. (Seo Costume of the Ancients, by Hope.) It is almost superfluous to enter into details here of the easily obtained examples of Roman costume, which abound everywhere, and leave nothing to be desired in the way of detail descriptive of the habits, customs, religious observances, ., of that great people. (See Montfaucon's [s. 234] IMG:p0263_0.jpg:Gravür Anti quité Expliquée et Representée en Fi Anti quité Expliquée et Representée en Figures, 10 vols. folio,1722-4, a perfect encyclopedia of ancient Roman life and manners, with hundreds of engravings, selected fro in the best known antiques.) The barbaric nations which aided in the fall of Rome, and others which existed at the same period, find their record only on some of their national antiques; history is somewhat silent on the peculiarities and appearance of non-literary countries, and they are, in fact, only incidentally alluded to, and figure merely as acce ories in the works of artists employed to commemorate the deeds of their superiors. Their national antiquities in sculpture are of the coarsest kind, and their peculiarities of dre so rudely delineated that considerable difficulty still exists in fully comprehending them. Of modern countries, we may note France and England as po e ing a very large series of national works illustrative of their pecu liarities. (See Anti quités de la Monarchie Française, by Montfaucon; Recherches sur les Costumes, les Mœurs, et les Usages des Anciens Peuples, by Maillot; Costumes Français, by Herbe; Costume in England, by Fairholt; History of British Costume,by Planché.) The Northern countries have fared well in point of notice and delineation, and Ru ia, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Poland have all their native peculiarities pictured forth. (See Picturesque Drawings of the Munners and Customs of the Ru ians,by At kins on; Neu-eröffnete Welt-Gallerie, by Weigel.) Holland meets with abundance of delineation in the works of its great painters (Teniers, Ostade, Rembrandt, .); and Middle Europe, Germany (Fig. 216), and Switzerland (Fig. 1) receive their share of attention in picture-books especially devoted to them. (See Costumbuch für Künstler, 4to.; Trachten des Christ lichen Mit tel alters, by Hefner; Costumes of the Hereditary States of the House of An stria, byBertranddeMolleville; Suite de Different Costumes de la Sui e, by Chretien de Mechel.) The South-Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece-generally have the graceful and gay dre es of its peoples delineated by able hands. (See Il Costume Antico e Moderno, by Ferrario; Sketches of the Country, Chararter, and Costumes of PPortugal and Spain, by W. Bradford; Drawings of Grecian Costume, by Stachelberg.) So also has Turkey, Arabia, India, and China. (See Octume tavian of Daluimart's Turkey; D'Ohs-Co on's Empire Ottoman; Count Leon de Laborde's Travels in Asia; Malcolm's Fig. 216. A GERMAN KNIGHT. History of Persia; Baltha- (15th cent.) zar Solvyn's Costume of Hin do stan; George Henry Mason's Costumes of China; ditto, by William Alexander.) The natives of modern Egypt are as minutely described by E. W. Lane (Manners and Customs of Modern Egypt) as those of its ancient inhabitants have been by other pens and pencils; thus completing the cycle of ancient and modern costume; and satisfactorily showing the abundance of material at the disposition of the artist who aims at truthfulne in the delineation of his pictured scenes. [s. 234]