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| Design for the Train of a Woman's Gown Charles Conder Watercolor, 1903 The Victoria & Albert Museum |
Charles Conder, made a name for himself in the early Twentieth Century for the
elaborate decorations that he would paint on the long trains of evening gowns
and ball gowns. He would use watercolors
to adorn the trains—sometimes even while the gown was being worn.
Conder created this watercolor design for a train around
1903. We can’t be certain about the
dress for which this design was created.
We do know that it was finished for one Mrs. Florence Humphrey, an
enthusiastic guest of many a fancy dress ball. At this time, Conder was at the height of his
popularity and his work was very much in demand.
The fashion of this era had moved away from the stiffly corseted
dresses of the Nineteenth Century in favor of “The New Reform Dress” which was
a “princess style” which hung from the shoulders without a waistline. Long full sleeves and dramatic trains defined
this new style—giving condor many a canvas for his much-desired work.
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