Sunday, December 27, 2009

Yay or Nay? James Boswell

Baroness Crussol impressed everybody last week with her wintery ensemble. We had a unanimous Yay! Hooray! I suppose the winter theme appeals to your fashion senses. In that case, let's continue with it!


George Willison paints James Boswell (1765) on location in clothing that looks a bit warm for the weather in Rome. Yay or Nay?

[National Galleries Scotland]

16 comments:

  1. Nay! First off, the fake snow irritates the heck out of me!

    As for his outfit, it is too try-hard, and the colours don't work together. The blue and the puce need a neutral to balance them and make them work together, and instead they have the horribly clashing fur and much too bright gold trim.

    And while the breeches and waistcoat might be well enough on their own, the robe is much too informal and loose to be paired with them.

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  2. Hm. . .nay. I like the pieces separately, but all together they just don't work.

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  3. I must say Nay, though I like the colours. But... the fur.. I don't know... I just don't like it.

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  4. Hmmm tough call, the fact that he's wearing that in Rome throws me off...to hell with it I like it! Yay!
    P.S. I like the snow:P

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  5. I say Yea, although I confess it's partly because it's dear old Boswell. He does try, doesn't he?

    I love the colour of his suit, and the goldwork. Who's to say it doesn't get frigid in Rome?

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  6. Well, I love the setting and the owl, but I'm not sure about the outfit. I think the gold trim is too garish. Other than that, I'd say yay. I'll even go out on a limb and profess my liking for the fur wrap.

    Boswell hasn't appeared much here, but he always interests me, yet puts me off. Is there a good bio anyone would recommend? (And why isn't Boswell in the dictionary episode of Blackadder III?)

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  7. I say yay! But that is just because Boswell is one of my favorite authors. If you want to find out about him, read some of his extensive diaries.

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  8. yay! mostly because of the owl, though.

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  9. I like the snow too! :)

    But I have to say Nay. He just looks too...the fur and gold trim, makes him look too effeminate and for some reason, that's putting me off this time.

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  10. How about 'meh'? The sloppy fitting and mish-mosh are just more frumpy and tired than thought provoking. I do like the owl and background in general.

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  11. Nay.

    The owl is a bit sinister. Curious thing to have in a portrait.

    Maybe if there was some kind of brown to tie the contrasting colors, that would be a yay.

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  12. nay, he should have stayed away from pinkish puce.. And I don't want to sound like his mother, but would it have killed him to button his waistcoat properly?

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  13. Yay... although I don't know why. I just like it!

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  14. i have prejudices of a sort against this man... i am afraid that would influence my opinion on his attire. but still, though i like the combination of the colour scheme, i dont like the outfit.

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  15. He needs to button up that one button. His Wampe is showing!

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  16. Boswell should've stuck to writing his "Life of Johnson" and others and not made this foray (turned faux-pas) into fashionable portrait modelling. Nay.

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