Portraitists are constantly contending with the question of how to capture their sitter without just recreating what they look like. Though portraits have always been associated with copying and likeness, the idea that they can provide a lens into their subjects’ personalities or inner lives is equally enduring. Artists, consequently, often use the depiction of clothing and accessories to create a sense of characteristics that aren’t visible to the naked eye. Far from being something that merely indicates a sitter’s status or profession, dress is intimately linked to individuality, spirituality or cultural identity, providing a means for portraitists to suggest or reveal the sort of things that make their subject who they are. A uniform weighed down with medals, for instance, might imply courage as much as military service. The voluminous, delicate dresses worn by Victorian-era women signified their gentility. A kangaroo skin cloak represents ancient connections which remain alive today. And something as seemingly incidental as a bow tie or cravat can hint to characteristics like chivalry and dignity.
The selection of works in Frocked up richly demonstrates the interconnectedness of costume and portraiture – and the many ways in which artists have employed the representation of dress to powerful, insightful effect.
