Piscatorial couturier Franciscus Valentijn debuted his garish new season collection at the 1726 Nieuw Oost Indien show.
"Colour is the new scale for the smart fish set", said the beaming Valentijn. "Demure is dead. Stripes, high contrast and bold tints are where it's at."
Citing Louis Renard as an influence, Valentijn said his background as evangelist and cartographer for the Dutch East India Company gave him an opportunity to view the East Asian fashion scene first hand.
"These fish from Indonesia and Ceylon are not shy. They aren't restricted by the narrow palette of their conservative European cousins. They are colour experimentalists. I'm just trying to bring this sense of joy and vivacity to life. My collection is for the party fish inside all of us."
Indeed. We're hooked!
Yes, these are festive, especially for Easter. Are you sure they're not marzipan? The Easter impulse has inspired many a pasticceria in Naples to confections like this. Thanks for another glorious page.
ReplyDeletethat's a TERRIBLE pun! :D but i always, always always love what you show us & what you write about it.
ReplyDeleteMost assuredly that is a terrible pun to which I would cop if the whole piece wasn't written as a parody.
ReplyDeleteMarzipan? I guess. I was thinking lurid hard candy of the glow in the dark radiating kind.
These are awesome
ReplyDeleteOnly slightly less wild in hue was the season's show by rival piscatorial couturier John White, whose Caribbean-inspired silver and gold stripes and spots showed that fish fashion can keep up even with such fashion staples as tattooed Native Americans and woad-dyed Picts.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant, thank you so much for sharing. Reminds me of the book 'The Sign of the Seahorse' that I was enamoured with when I was little.
ReplyDeleteVery much hook, line and sinker material!
Taa.
ReplyDeleteI think I've heard of this John White fellow of whom you speak. He was fairly reliant upon a bevy of champions for his fashion sense, such as it is.
Always one step ahead of me... but I think my latest find will amuse you although the photos are a bit marginal.
ReplyDeleteThese are great! You rock, as always, PK.
ReplyDeletejust discovered your pages. gorgeous, thoughtfully-selected illustrations. thanks for taking the time to curate this art.
ReplyDeleteHi, Ihave some drawings I'd like to post or submit for posting. How is it done? Who do I contact?
ReplyDeletethanks, Scott gilscot@netzero.net
I know I am coming late to this fish party, but am so glad to find such fine images. Do you own them? Would like to have something like these for my home.
ReplyDeleteFishmonger, I guess it wouldn't have been hard to predict your interest in this series *cough*.
ReplyDeleteNah, they're not mine; they're from Panteek, the antique print store (first link above in that rather faded semi-humorous spiel from all that time ago - reminds me to take care about what I render for posterity).
I'll leave it to you to go searching on Valentijn's name: I have no idea whether or not this lot has been re-released as prints in the modern era or if or whether they are rare at all. If you're successful in purchasing any, please drop in and let us know. I do really love this set.