Afternoon dress

A black silk afternoon dress displayed on a headless mannequin against a grey backdrop. The fitted bodice has a high collar, long sleeves with lace-trimmed cuffs, and a row of buttons down the front. The skirt is gathered into a full bustle and finished with tiered ruffles and a long trailing train.

Look closer: Lace trim at the cuffs and the ruffled hem tiers that step down toward the train.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1876–78

Medium

silk

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

2846 × 3892 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Theodore Fischer Ells, 1975