The Robe Volante in art and reality

Robe Volante, c. 1720.
Yellow and red changeable striped silk taffeta with racket
sleeves ("manches en raquette"); large pleats at front and back.

In Sweden there is an idiom that says “A loved child has many names”. If that is true, then the Robe Volante was very dear, as it also were called Robe Battante, Adrienne, contouche, innocente, flying dress and, in a shorter version, casaque. It became popular in the 1720’s and remained fashionable for some 20 years. Like the mantua it had deep pleats in the front and the back, but on the mantua those pleats were held close to the body, first with a sash and then the pleats were sewn down. In the Volante these pleats were hanging freely, giving the gown a loose bell-shape, something that was underlined as it was worn with something else that became fashionable in the 1720’s, the hoop skirt, or panier. It was originally bell shaped, but got wider and flatter, in the 1730’s, to reach its widest points in the 1740’s.

 

The Volante very quickly morphed into the Robe Française where the front of the gown became fitted. The Volante and Française co-existed and it is sometimes difficult to say it an extant gown is an unusually fitted Volante or an unusually loose Française. There were also variations within the Volante's. The first ones had loosely pleated backs, the stacked double box pleats was something that developed in the 1730’s.

Robe Volante in pale blue silk, 1730's, Metropolitan Museum

This Volante is open to the waist and very similar to this one. Others were closed all the way. The neckline always seem to be V-shaped. Despite being so loose, stays were generally worn underneath, though probably not laced very hard. It may sound odd to wear stays, but not if one comsider that this is what a woman wore for breast support in the 18th century and she might not (I wouldn't because that would actually be more uncomfortable than wearing stays) want to let it all hang freely.



The backpleats looks to be quite loose here and the sleeves looks pleated, another old-fashioned look that some extant mantuas also have.


Detail from L'Enseigne de Gersaint by Antoine Watteau, 1720

Robe Volante, 1720-1735, Musée Galliera de la Mode de la Ville de Paris
The pictures were found here.
 

This gown also have decorative buttons down the front, though I'm unsure if they are also functional. They can be seen on paintings from the period as well.


Like this one, in velvet.

Élisabeth-Charlotte d'Orléans,Duchess of Lorraine and her son François-Étienne by Alexis Simon Belle,1722

Here is a version with decorative frogs and a somewhat peculiar frill around teh neck. The stays do seem to be very loose.

Declaration of Love by Troy,1725

A Robe Volante worn completely open.

L'amour et le badinage by Jean-Baptiste Pater, painted before 1736

And getting in and out of it.

Dame à sa toilette recevant un cavalier by Jean-François de Troy

After the Ball by Jean-Francois De Troy, 1735
 

This version looks like it is closed by hooks and eyes.

The Alarm by Jean Francois de Trow, 1723

With more distinct pleating in the back.

Robe Volante, 1735-1740, Metropolitan Museum





A painting were both versions a worn, both the Volante and the Francaise.

 

Declaration of Love by Jean Francois de Troy, 1731

Robe Volante c. 1730
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

There was, as I have already mentioned, a shorter version, the casaque.



 

Lady Sealing A Letter by Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin, c. 1732

It's possible that they were just shortened volantes which had been worn, but there are two beautiful embroidered casaques which clearly have been made shorter by purpose.

Embroidered ölinen casaque (Italian), 1725-1740, Metropolitan Museum

Silk casaque with embroidery in white silk, 1730-1740's, Kulturen, Lund

The petticoat is quilted, but sadly re-made so it's impossible to say what it looked like originally.

The loose fit of the Volante must have made it ideal to use as a coat as you could have worn several layers underneath. The lady enjoying a day on the ice, must have done so to stand the cold.

Detail from Winter by Jean-Baptiste Pater,1725

It must also have been very comfortable for travels. There have been some debate over these paintings online, but I think they are meant to be showing travelling clothes. Masques were not only worn for masqueardes, but for travels as well, to protect the face from sun and dust.


Countess de Rieux, by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, 1742

 

Posthumous portrait of Louise-Élisabeth de France, Duchess of Parma by Jean-Marc Nattier, c. 1760

A very similar portrait, I guess one of them is a copy of the other.

Unknown woman found at Just A Wench Livejournal

Two gowns balancing the fine line between Volante and Francaise

C. 1735, The Museum at FIT

C. 1735, Les Arts Décoratifs




An assortment of paintings showing of different versions of the Volante.



Mrs. Elizabeth Symonds by Allan Ramsey, 1740

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Nicholas Lancret




The Four Times od Day- Midday by Nicholas Lancret

People In the Park, the workshop of Nicholas Lancret



A Lady and Gentleman Taking Coffee with Children in a Garden by Nicholas Lancret, 1742

Follow the link underneath for a high res version.


St. James' Park and the Mall, 1745

Progress!

All the lacing holes on the stays are done! Weeee. Well, if you don't count the ones that the shoulder straps will sport- there are no shoulder straps yet. On to the boning, but first, the battante. Which is now completely cut out. Oh what a pain silk sateen is to cut! Slippery, slippery, slippery! I'm used to working with silk taffeta, which is a dream to cut.

And speaking of silk taffeta, I was drooling over B. R. Exports wonderful fabrics, and came across these:

http://www.puresilks.biz/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=335

http://www.puresilks.biz/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=1493

Don't you think those would make great battantes? I think taffeta would drape better in a battante than the sateen will, and I really love those striped ones in the paintings. I think that if I will like my battante, I will make another, striped one. There will be more 18th century weekends, and a battante would make a wonderful morning gown, even when I will be able to wear my stays again.

Robe battante- my plans

After looking at various paintings of robe battante’s, the next step was to see what can be seen when it comes to extant clothes. As my time-frame is so limited I haven’t been able to find much, undoubtedly there are more of them out there than I know of.

I have found pictures of two robe battante’s and one casaque. I’ve also studied the patterns for a robe battante and a casaque in Norah Waugh’s The Cut of Women's Clothes, 1600-1930 and found that the cut varies. The battante and casaque in Waugh are cut very similar to each other.

They have a loose pleat in the front and the side are cut like an L, with the shirt angling out from the tip.

The other battante I’ve found a picture of seems to be cut without the front pleat, instead there is a collar that makes it looks like it has a pleat. I can’t be positive about that, but to me it looks quite alike this casaque, which I know have a collar and no pleat, as it is described in detail, as well with a pattern, in Hammar & Rasmussen’s Kvinnligt mode under två sekel

This casaque and its quilted petticoat was probably a wedding gown and are made out of yellow silk. The petticoat has unfortunately been severely altered and don’t have its original shape anymore.

The pattern is different not just because it lacks the front pleat, but because the side is cut like a (and the shirt part is just a continuing line outward.


So, with two different patterns, I had to decide what patterns to use. I’ve actually already made the casaque, albeit in a shorter version, a couple of years back I was very short of time, so omitted the collar and the shaped cuffs. It would have looked much better with it.

It’s sewn in blue cotton and worn over pocket hoops, which worked well enough.

However, the battante was worn over panniers, not pocket hoops and can you imagine, I happen to have a pannier that I haven’t had anything to wear over. Made it a couple of years back in red linen, and it really should be aired, don’t you think?

But back to the pattern question. Having already tried one pattern, I guess it’s only natural to want to try the other. So I’m using the patterns in Waugh as a template. I don’t feel any need to make an actual pattern, as its so many straight or angled lines and I use a ruler to draw the pattern directly at the fabric. I have a basic 18th century bodice pattern that I use as a guide for the armhole as well as a basic sleeve. I’m using a fabric that’s been laying around in my stash for several years.

It’s greenish gold silk sateen. I must confess that I would have loved to make a striped battante, but with this fabric already being around and being gorgeous, it isn’t too much of a sacrifice to use.

Robe battante- the inspiration

In three weeks time I’m going on an 18th century weekend and as I won’t be able to wear stays, I need clothes that are loose. I already have simpler clothes, but I really wanted something nice for the evening and though a robe battante would be a very good solution. We will ignore the sheer madness of attempting one- I did try to get the voice of reason, but everyone I asked told me to go for it. I promise, I will not kill myself in making it, if I can’t finish, then I won’t try to finish.

A robe battante, or volante, is a loose gown from the early 18th century with the back in watteu pleats. Worn over panniers it gave the wearer a rather bell-shaped silhouette.

Though an informal gown it could certainly be worn at social gatherings and in painting by Nicolas Lancret and Jean François de Troy engage in various pleasant pastimes, wearing this comfortable gown.







As you can see above the neckline generally seems to be V-shaped and the front may be open down to the waist. Winged of shaped cuffs seems to be most common. Being so loose it could certainly have been worn without stays, but on those gowns that are open, it seems to reveal laced stays underneath. I don’t find that so odd- for many women it can be uncomfortable to go without any support at all. And stays was what you wore, something you put on at a daily basis without thinking about it. Stays aren’t in itself an uncomfortable garment and can be laced so it just gives a nice support.

It’s hard to see on the picture above, but the front is close by tiny silver frogs. Very cute. The collar is rather odd, though. Again it’s hard to see here, but it looks like a “fur” made out of small loops.

The battante had a little sister too, the shorter casaque. Here a very striped one.