the Holy Family, then and now

"Rest on the Flight Into Egypt" by Aert de Gelder, c. 1690. MFA Boston 57.182.

Did you ever notice how paintings from the Renaissance and after often depict Bible characters in contemporary clothing? This Holy Family is lovely, but they sure resemble 1690s Dutch people too. Of course to us, images like this just look old-timey. Would a Holy Family in modern dress seem jarring?

At Midnight Mass I started imaging what a contemporary Nativity scene would look like. A parking garage would be a good stable equivalent - if you can't find a hotel room, you have to sleep in the car. There would have to be some stray cats running around, and the shepherds could be construction workers doing some night paving. Then the magi would be oil sheiks who fund science research, and would fly in from Bahrain on their private jet.

Material Culture Alert: The man in the big red suit

Last week my class had the wonderful opportunity to take a short end-of-semester field trip to the Boston area.  Part of the time was spent in the Museum of Fine Arts' new Art of the Americas wing, which is absolutely glorious. I couldn't help noticing a common theme throughout the portraits : the red suit.  In the eighteenth century textiles were costly, and so clothing in portraits could show off one's gentility and status. I was amazed how many examples there were of men in an outfit that is today reserved for Santa Claus. 

Here's Nathanial Sparhawk, painted by John Singleton Copley in 1768. He was a successful merchant in Maine, but his house was nowhere near as grand as this backdrop.

 

John Singleton Copley also painted Samuel Adams in a red suit around 1772.

 

Across the pond in England, Thomas Gainsborough painted this portrait of hospital benefactor John Eld of Seighford Hall, Stafford in 1775.

Here's French artist JeanJacques Caffieri, painted by Swede Adolf Ulric Werftmuller in 1784.

 

The red suit persisted through several decades, as this1793 painting of Bostonians Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Russell by John Trumbull. Their arm-in-arm pose was the latest trend from England.

I wonder what portrait fads will look funny to future generations. Maybe jumping photos of entire wedding parties?