Jas van ambassadeur Allard Merens c. 1945 - 1976

This is a coat, made by Chalk & Dawson Ltd. Jones, for ambassador Allard Merens. I love how formal it is! It is so austere, but with these flashes of gold. Look at the neck: the embroidery is really compact. There's this visual tension created by the simple black fabric and the gold trim. It makes me think of an Agnes Martin painting, like an exercise in discipline and restraint, but then the gold reminds you of Klimt. It is luxurious and ornamental and makes you think of Vienna! It's interesting how the gold decorates the parts of the body that are important to a diplomat, the cuffs so he can reach out to shake hands, the neck and shoulders so he can look people in the eye, stand tall, and take command. In both cases the surface is relatively smooth, but both are paintings that represent an attitude toward the world.