Looklooklooklook!!!

Look what I found! If I'm not much mistaken, I've found a painting that shows the back and the hem of Anne-Marie Dagnan's dress!!!

"L'artiste au musée"
Oil On Panel,1881, link to original source

It was painted by her husband, Pascal-Adolphe-Jean Dagnan-Bouveret (that just rolls off the tongue...) who was a painter and a friend of Courtois. Courtois actually originally introduced Anne-Marie to Dagnan, and they were eventually married. I found this blog that told me more about Courtois, Anne-Marie and Dagnan. Funny how you get absorbed in these projects. I only wish I had the same kind of fervor and determination with my dissertation research...

Of course I can't be absolutely certain that this is indeed the same dress, but the colour and some of the details, and the fact that Anne-Marie's portrait and this one were painted just a year apart would point to that. Not to mention the connection between the two artists and Anne-Marie. In any case, I'm very excited about this, and it's certainly helping me to decide on what the skirt on this dress should be like. I've looked at tons of fashion plates and extant gowns from 1879 to 1882 and I think I know what I want to do. The bodice will be a cuirasse shape, with the closure in front like in this gown. There won't be a bustle, because from what I've learned, the 1880 dresses (at least day wear) were very column-like and more natural form than tournure shape.
Also, the corset mock up turned out very nice, so 1880, here I come!