Delphos Mantle
Mariano Fortuny (Granada 1871 - Venezia 1949)
Kimono-style mantle made of four rectangular panels, open at the front, in crimson silk velvet printed in gold in imitation of 15th cen- tury velvet, without a structured neck or sleeves. On the wearer, it opens out into a V-neck to create the effect of broad sleeves at the elbow. The lining is in green silk taffeta. The mantle was made by Mariano Fortuny for the actress Eleonora Duse (1858-1924). The so- lemnity of an actress’s stride on stage and the dramatic nature of her gesturing left little room for tight clothing, which explains why Duse understood and loved Fortuny’s deconstructed garments of scholarly inspiration echoing decorative pattens inspired, as in this instance, by the Renaissance tradition.
Donated by Sister Mary Mark, 1993