ticketsMember | Make a donation

Court train

ca. 1809
Not on view
This court train is said to have been worn by Armandine-Marie-Georgine de Serent at Napoleon's Marriage to Marie-Louise in 1810. In 1808, the wearer had married the prince de Leon, chamberlain to the emperor, and this costume closely follows the ettiquette for ladies at court, as established by the designs of the painter Jean-Baptiste Isabey for Napoleon's coronation as emperor in 1804. The heavy train hangs from shoulder straps and is secured at the front with a belt. The standing lace collar, or cherusque, part of Isabey's design and reminiscent of 16th-century costume , was de rigueur, and the embroidery also follows the regulations set down in 1804. The border does not exceed the four-inch width prescribed for a woman who was neither a princess of the Empire nor a close female relative of the emperor or empress.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Court train
  • Date: ca. 1809
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: silk, metal thread
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1932
  • Object Number: 32.35.10
  • Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Corset, Maison Léoty French, silk, French
Corset
Maison Léoty
1891
Ball gown, House of Worth French, silk, French
Ball gown
House of Worth
Charles Frederick Worth
ca. 1872
Court train, silk, metallic, French
Court train
French
1809
Court train, silk, bronze, glass, French
Court train
French
1860s
Court train, silk, Austrian
Court train
Austrian
1893

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.