Marie Antoinette - The Royal Fashion Plates

I have just a few Fashion Plates that actually depict Marie Antoinette 

and her husband King Louis XVI.  4 in total that I will be showing on this post.

Naturally, I enjoy tinkering with images so here is a fun piece of digital art 

I created using one of the actual Marie images. 

Marie with her Mystery Lover?

 There has been much speculation through the years as to
Marie Antoinette and her supposed lovers.

Many of the rumors were just that, rumors used as propaganda against Marie Antoinette for political reasons.  Unfortunately for Marie her desire to get out and have a little fun only spurred on the rumor mongers and was one of the things that lead to the French Revolution.

For my art piece I've got a mystery man off to the side of my altered Marie image.

So it is up to you to decide if the man is her lover, friend, husband or royal escort.

The 4 Royal Fashion Plates
These are from around 1780

Marie Antoinette - from "Collection d'habillements Modernes et Galants"

Marie Antoinette from "Galerie des Modes"

King Louis XVI - "The Just and Beneficent Monarch"  

from "Collection d'habillements Modernes et Galants"

King Louis XVI - from "Galerie des Modes"

*****

A Rainbow of Maires

For my digital artpiece I used the first Marie fashion plate
 image and turned her into a png; then as is my passion,
 I started changing her colors.

I used an "aqua blue" version of her for my framed creation.

This is what the original image looked like once the background was removed.

Marie Antoinette: EKDuncan altered version - Aqua Blue

This "Aqua Blue" is the version I used for my artpiece.

Marie Antoinette: EKDuncan altered version -Spring Green

Marie Antoinette: EKDuncan altered version -Blueberry

Marie Antoinette: EKDuncan altered version -Plum

Marie Antoinette: EKDuncan altered version -Mint

Marie Antoinette: EKDuncan altered version -Purple

Marie Antoinette: EKDuncan altered version -Buttercup

Marie Antoinette: EKDuncan altered version -Silver

Marie Antoinette: EKDuncan altered version -Raspberry

I just love to alter colors in Photoshop, it's so much fun!!!

Now for her Mystery Man...

This is the original image I started with for the Mystery Man in my digital artpiece.

Yup! - I made him into a png and created a variety of gents too;
because every well dressed woman needs to accessorize accordingly.

the original gent now as a png image

Late 1700's Gentleman - Blue Sapphire

  This "blue" version was used in my digital art

Late 1700's Gentleman - Emerald Green

Late 1700's Gentleman - Brown

Late 1700's Gentleman - Olive

Late 1700's Gentleman -Navy

Late 1700's Gentleman -Black

Late 1700's Gentleman -Maroon

The Frame

Here is a true EKDuncan original.
This is a digitally created composite frame.

Digitally created composite frame

I collect vintage frames and the old metal ones are my favorite.
Some of them are not very impressive on their own; however with a bit of Photoshop magic I was able to create this fancy scroll frame using bits and pieces of several from my collection.

The Narrow outside edge on the above is the actual frame I started with.
I doubled it to created a smaller inside edge for a bit more flash.
This left me with a nice frame but I took it one step further and added the "scroll" pattern inside; which is actually the side edge from another of my vintage frames.




The Background

The background is actually a Regency piece from the publication Ackermann's Repository.
It is the grand staircase from Carlton House in London which was built in the early 1780's so it is from the correct time period as Marie Antoinette's Dress.

This is the original image I started with to created my "Marie" background

You can see this and other "Interior" Ackermann images HERE
There are also months of postings on Regency Era images
from Ackermann's Repository including Fashion Plates.
See my Posts from July 2011 - January 2012 to see them all.

******

The Finished Digital Artpiece

Here one more time is my EKDuncan digital artpiece;
Showing Marie in "aqua blue", her gent in "blue sapphire", my created scroll frame
and the Regency era background of the grand staircase at Carlton House
from Ackermann's Repository.

Marie Antoinette and her lover? - an EKDuncan Original

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I'll be back with more Pre French Revolution Fashion plates
from the time of Marie Antoinette soon.

Till next time...

FYI  - if you are wondering about my new address at "EKDuncan.com"
I recently purchased the domain EKDuncan.com and have tied my ekduncan.blogspot.com
account to it.  I figure since I sign my work EKDuncan this will make it easier for people to find me.  Either address will get you here but "ekduncan.com" is short and sweet.

Marie in Jewel Tones (Amethyst - Topaz - Aquamarine)

In three of my earlier posts I put in some "teasers" at the bottom to show what the next "Dancing Marie" image would look like.  I thought it would be fun to put the three images together into this "Jeweled Set" just for the grins and giggles of it.

Amethyst - Topaz - Aquamarine

I've taken 3 of my Maries, an old paper theater curtain, a great vintage frame, 

and then a variety of digital images to put this fun piece together digitally.
 
Amethyst Marie can be found HERE (at the very bottom of the post)
Topaz Marie can be found HERE (at the very bottom of the post)
Aquamarine Marie can be found HERE (at the very bottom of the post)

This is the Curtain I used from my collection of Paper Toy Theater curtains.
 A larger down-loadable version of this curtain and others
can be found at my deviantART account HERE

Topaz Curtain

Each Marie was placed in a funky Gothic style frame and then they
were connected and arranged as you see below.

The Three Jewel Colored Maries in Gothic Frames by PaperWhimsy

These great Gothic frames used to "frame" my ladies are by PaperWhimsy

I altered them just a bit by removing the background area and saving 

a new set of frames only.  this allowed me to use the full image

as the background to my ladies, insert each Marie and then add a top layer

of window frame only, over each.  This "sandwich" effect allows me to get a 

bit more depth by adding an extra layer of "drop shadow" for each.

(I also deepened the colors a bit)

This is what the original frame set looked like

 I also used several great background paper from PaperWhimsy
to create my background and floor in the large framed scene.
PW Antiques 09 - formed one layer of my background
PW Magic Window 01 - is the other layer in my background

PW Harlequin 01 - was used as a base for my floor

The great hinges you see connecting the ladies came from a set of digital images 

I purchased from Scrapgirls -"The View Collection"

The Hinges are hard to see but they are pare of this fun collection of supplies

It's just so much fun to play with bits and pieces till you get an interesting new look.

This was my final creation - now it's your turn (giggles).

*****



I'm going to take a little break here as I decide what direction Marie will take next.

Till then...

Dancing Marie #4 - The World is My Stage

Marie Antoinette was one of those rare individuals who's legacy has far surpassed their short lifespan.  Even the fashions of the day are now thought of as "in the style of" Marie Antoinette

During her life she did have some impact on the fashions of the day. 

She spent a lot of money to have "Her" own look which was usually 

over the top, so she was a lady who took center stage wherever she went.

Marie in "the World is my Stage"

Here I've matched up Marie #3 from the previous post along with the new Dancing Marie #4.

Another toy theater background and two more vintage toy theater curtains,
sets this make believe stage for my Dancing Maries.

Dancing Marie #4

This is a most lively theatrical costume from the late 1700's and a bit creepy since the original shows her with snakes in one hand and a wicked blade in the other.  For my rendition of this dancing lady, I've removed both so that she looks a bit less threatening than the original.

My version of the altered dancer in the original costume colors

The Original version of this "Opera Costume" Fashion Plate

These are the other colorized versions I created for Marie #4

Coral

Garnet Red

Golden Yellow

Green Leaf

Hot Pink and Green

Pumpkin and Green

Purple

Teal and Purple

Now for the Stage

Paper Theater and Vintage Curtain

The main portion of the background was created by first taking the image I had 

of the theater surround and adding in the "full curtain" behind the swagged valance

on the stage portion of the main image.

This created a nice framed stage area and would have been fine on its own;

however I love theater curtains and wanted one more in the foreground.

EKDuncan adaptation of an antique paper curtain

 I did a bit of altering to one of my existing curtains to

give it a slightly different look and brought it front and center.

Put all the elements together and I have my finished piece.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing how I used some of these lovely old 

"Drama Queens" from the time of Marie Antoinette and personalized them

 to create my own version of "Marie" art.

Till Next time...