Costume Design for "Touchstone" [a]; Descriptive Sheet of Costume and Accessories [b] 1889

Charles Bianchini created this costume design for "Touchstone" in 1889 using watercolor and graphite. The composition is simple: a full-length figure stands against a blank background. The earth-toned colors suggest a world of nature, while the costume's clean lines and tailored fit hint at an underlying order and structure. Bianchini's approach here seems almost scientific, as if he's dissecting the very idea of character through clothing. Touchstone’s attire is rendered as a series of carefully considered components, a sort of visual code which reveals the character’s essence. The costume becomes a semiotic system, each element—the hat, the tunic, the boots—functioning as a signifier that points to a set of meanings. The tension between natural and artificial is destabilized, creating new meaning for the viewer. Consider how the formal elements come together: the precise lines, the controlled palette, the meticulous detailing. These are not merely aesthetic choices; they reflect a deeper engagement with the structures that shape our understanding of character and identity. It is this constant questioning and exploration that makes Bianchini’s work enduringly fascinating.