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The gown probably belonged to Anne Françoise de La Chaize d’Aix, who in 1736 married Pierre-François de Montaigu (1692-1761), Louis XIV’s future ambassador to Venice. It was kept at Château de La Chaize in the Beaujolais region, which was home to the La Chaize d’Aix family. The celebrated confessor of Louis XIV was a family member.
This gown is an example of the change in the feminine wardrobe between the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. It is part of the vast family of coats and dressing gowns, known as “déshabillés”, with a pleated bodice covering stays and a skirt that was lifted above or lowered over an underskirt. Fashion opposed these new arrivals to the type of gown used until that time, with a visibly stayed bodice and train; these older-style gowns were gradually relegated to official ceremonies and prestige events. Flounced gowns are very rare and only five are currently conserved in international public collections. Two are found at Palais Galliera.
Notice's author : Pascale Gorguet-Ballesteros