Evening dress

The sleeveless lacquer-red silk chiffon velvet dress printed in gold and silver has a round neckline at the front and a V-neck at the back. Reaching to the knee, its trapezoidal line extends at the side into two points reaching to the ankles. The decorative motif is printed as though it were a work of art. In 1918 Maria Monaci Gallenga opened an atelier and art gallery in Rome where garments and works of art were displayed side by side. Her creations soon caught the eye of such influential women as Sibilla Aleramo (1876- 1960), Eleonora Duse (1858-1924) and Donna Franca Florio (1873-1950) to whom this specific dress belonged.

Donated by the Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, in 1985