The “all’antica” Look of the Goddesses

This portrait of Infanta Margarita Teresa shows a clear example of "all'antica" style.

The key elements of this style were established by Bernardo Buontalenti in his costume designs for the characters of the intermezzi of La Pellegrina, a play that formed part of the festivities organized in 1589 to celebrate the marriage of Ferdinand I de’ Medici and Christina of Lorraine.

Dressing „all’antica“ involved a liberal and theatrical re-imagining of Greco-Roman clothing. How was it done? By adapting shapes, textiles and colours already current in fashions of the time, a fusion of shapes and adornments was created, reinterpreting classical dress and the inherited traditions of symbolic interpretation of mythology.