The Silhouette: From the 18th Century to the Present Day

ISBN-13: 9781474244657 / Angielski / Twarda / 2016 / 192 str.

Georges Vigarello (École des hautes études en sciences socia;Augusta Dörr

Opis

From bone-crushing corsets to modern 'slimming' creams, our preoccupation with the silhouette has shaped centuries of fashion and culture. The contours of the body can convey everything from physical health and beauty to social class - and both men and women have long sought to mold and reshape them, often with alarming and even dangerous results. Tracing the history of the silhouette from its birth in 18th century portrait sketches, this engrossing book takes the reader on a journey through 250 years of a cultural obsession. From Hogarth's 'line of beauty' to the advent of nude photography, from the crinoline to the Dior suit and the early bathing costume, The Silhouette reveals how the shape of the body has become an eloquent symbol of status, sexuality and the aspirational quest for physical and moral 'perfection'. Drawing on numerous textual and visual resources, leading scholar Georges Vigarello anatomizes a fixation with the human form which has shaped not just our bodies but our very identities. With over 120 color images, The Silhouette is a remarkable resource for scholars, students and fashion-lovers alike.

Spis treści

INTRODUCTION I- A NEW WORD, A NEW LINE i. The Invention of the Word “Silhouette” (18th century) ii. The Art of “Silhouetting” iii. From Shaded Faces to Shaded Figures II- FROM THE MEZZOTINT TO THE ROMANTIC AESTHETIC i. The Enlightenment and the Emergence of Morphology ii. Before the “Silhouette”: Early Incarnations iii. The Quest for Detail: The Triumph of the “Full-Length” Profile Portrait iv. The Complex and Curious Realm of the Shadow v. The Romantic Perspective III- INNOVATIONS IN GRAPHIC ART i. A Process Expands: Press and Image ii. A Word Expands: Physical and Moral Significance iii. The Silhouette: A Social “Museum” in the 19th Century iv. The “Invention” of Morphology v. The Silhouette: an Academic Approach vi. The Silhouette and Fashion in the Romantic Era vii. A Wealth of Creativity in Graphic Art viii. From the Press to the Poster IV- THE ART OF EXPRESSION i. Photography and Figures in Motion ii. The Female Contour: from Slender to Erotic iii. The Nude Becomes “Commonplace” iv. The Honing of the Female Form v. A Growing Personal Imperative vi. The Honing of the Male Form viii. The Theme of Decline ix. The Quest to Classify x. The Tragic Danger of “Race” xi. The Realms of Expression and Information xii. Between Curves and Muscles xiii. The Emergence of Psychology: The Dawn of a Cult? V- THE CONTEMPORARY SILHOUETTE i. Radical Changes in the Figure ii. The Challenge of Identity iii. The Silhouette: The Mastery and Weakness of the Body CONCLUSION Notes Index Photographic credits