Artfully Dressed: 
Women in the Art World





Portrait Project by Carla van de Puttelaar


Portraits of Prominent and Promising Women in the Art World

  • Carole Wilson Cohn: 

    'Carla van de Puttelaar’s tribute to women is so visceral that each sitter is poised to tell you
    her story in a way few photographers can accomplish.
    When I saw her exhibit at Sotheby’s in New York, I was “blown away” by her sensitivity 
    towards each subject.  
    It’s hard to discover the true DNA of a woman’s essence in photography.
    It’s even harder to combine that and the Art History of the Dutch Masters.  
    But Carla does it with her sensitive eye and extraordinary sense of detail in her photographs.
    Her work is truly a woman’s view of women. Unparalleled.'

    Fru Tholstrup:

    'Thank you Carla van de Puttelaar for including me in your extraordinary project “Artfully Dressed Women in the Artworld”, what a great honour to be imortalised alongside some of the most inspirational art women of the 21st Century. Your project will be an everlasting and poignant art historical reminder for years to come.'


    What women say about the project.

    Laura Ongpin-Taylor: 

    'The photographs are spectacular - theatrical and intimate, intelligent and thought-provoking, strong and wistful, all at the same time, marrying tradition with an edgy, forward looking twist.'

    Chellis Baird: 

    'The moment I met Carla I loved her luminosity and beautiful coat! I was thrilled to be a part of celebrating women in the art world through Carla’s talented lens and thoughtful vision. If we shine together as women we build a brighter future; we illuminate best together.

    I feel invigorated to create in an era where women are free to be themselves and embrace their femininity or not. It is informative to reflect on the past, but imperative to maintain perspective on the present and be instrumental in a brighter future.'

    Diana Scarisbrick,: 

    'The session with Carla made me feel like one of Sir Joshua Reynold’s sitters, for she engaged me in an interesting conversation and I was fascinated by her professionalism – her study of the light, the experimenting with different poses, the exemplary patience. Thomas Carlyle declared that he could learn more about a person from a portrait than from one hundred books, and in my case Carla certainly seems to have captured the continuing quest for knowledge which enthrals me!'


    BANK OF AMERICA AND TEFAF NEW YORK FALL 2019 HONOR FEMALE EMPOWERMENT WITH THE ACCLAIMED EXHIBITION “ARTFULLY DRESSED: WOMEN IN THE ART WORLD”


    (New York, NY) – September 30, 2019: TEFAF New York Fall 2019 and long-standing sponsorship partner Bank of America are pleased to present the next installment in the celebrated portrait series “Artfully Dressed: Women in the Art World,” by Amsterdam-based photographer Carla van de Puttelaar. Sixty of Puttelaar’s powerful and diverse photographs will line the hallways of the first and second floors of the Park Avenue Armory, where the Fair will take place from November 1 - 5, 2019. The exhibition is curated by Rachel Kaminsky, Program Director of this portrait series.

    Van de Puttelaar’s work celebrates the accomplishments, strength and beauty of prominent and promising women in the art world across a wide spectrum of professions, nationalities, ages and cultural backgrounds. Begun in Spring 2017, this project’s original aim was to heighten the visibility of these talented women through portraiture, and has since grown to a series of over 400 professionals from every continent. A trained art historian, Van de Puttelaar draws inspiration from great Old Master portrait painters such as Anthony van Dyck, Frans Hals and Peter Lely.

    “It is a pleasure to partner with Bank of America on this project that is, at its core, so meaningful to both our institutions as we seek to shine a spotlight on the women who are changing our world for the better.” says Sofie Scheerlinck, Managing Director of TEFAF New York. “There can be no better place to view these moving photographs than at TEFAF New York Fall, where they are juxtaposed by ancient and old master work as a testament to the enduring power of the portrait and its ability to tell untold stories that matter.”

    NEWS:  Five portraits have been acquired by The National Portrait Gallery, London

    Five portraits from the Arfully Dressed series have been acquired by the The National Portrait Gallery through a very generous grant of the Bern Schwartz Family Foundation https://www.bernschwartz.org/press-2-1. With my deepest thanks to the Foundation and especially to Michael and Eric Schwartz, Anne Varick Lauder,  The National Portrait Gallery and curators, and of course the sitters Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate, Jennifer Scott, Director of Dulwich Gallery, Melanie Keen, Director of Iniva, jewellery specialist Diana Scarisbrick and costume specialist Aileen Ribeiro. 
    More about the acquisition

    NEWS:  Artfully Dressed: Women in the Art World

    Upcoming Exhibition: Sotheby's New York,
    http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2019/artfully-dressed-portraits-by-carla-van-de-puttelaar-exhibition-n10021.html?locale=en

    Alongside Masters Week, Sotheby’s is proud to present an exhibition of works by Dutch fine art photographer, Carla van de Puttelaar. Van de Puttelaar lives and works in Amsterdam. Her photographic work has gained worldwide recognition, and she has exhibited in numerous museums and galleries around the world. Her cover for The New York Times Magazine in 2015 was selected as one of their best photos of the year.

    In the spring of 2017, Van de Puttelaar developed a new and timely series devoted to accomplished women in the art world, Artfully Dressed: Women in the Art World. While working on this ongoing project, Van de Puttelaar became even more impressed by the personalities and achievements of these women. United in their brilliance and strength, they represent a wide range of backgrounds, nationalities, careers, and expertise. To date, over 200 women worldwide have participated in Van de Puttelaar’s project.

    Sotheby’s is thrilled to host an exhibition of selected photographs from this empowering and globally recognized series that draws inspiration from Old Masters and specifically 17th century portraiture. In addition to the existing works, Sotheby’s commissioned a continuation of the series featuring prominent American women. This non-selling exhibition is displayed in tandem with Sotheby’s Masters Week – viewed alongside paintings, drawings and sculpture from centuries earlier as well as alongside The Female Triumphant, a curated auction event celebrating the skill and rarity of pioneering female artists from the 16th to 19th centuries.

    ON VIEW IN NEW YORK
    Friday, 25 January | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM EST
    Saturday, 26 January | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM EST
    Sunday, 27 January | 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM EST
    Monday, 28 January | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM EST
    Tuesday, 29 January | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM EST
    Wednesday, 30 January | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM EST
    Thursday, 31 January | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM EST
    Friday, 1 February | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM EST

    SPECIAL THANKS

    Select fabrics provided by Donghia, Inc. and F Schumacher & Co at the Decoration and Design Building in New York

    Additional fabrics provided by Watts of Westminster 

    Printing and Framing by Gallery Color
    View gallery

    Dress

    The women in the portraits are dressed in amazing quality designer clothes, wrapped in stunning fabrics, period costumes and vintage clothes. 

    Designers

    Many fashion and jewellery designers have lent their creations for the project: 
    Karim Adduchi
    Mattijs van Bergen
    Burberry
    Chanel
    Izolda Ciurus
    Ute Decker 
    Han Feng
    Figue
    Alexandra Frida
    Elizabeth Gage
    Iris van Herpen
    Ione Iruretagoiena
    Claes Iversen
    Zaeem Jamal
    Addy van den Krommenacker
    Adeline Lee
    Liv Luttrell
    Joanna Mastroianni
    Alexander McQueen
    Sandra Murray
    Nabil Nayal
    Dries van Noten
    Johannes Offerhaus
    Osman
    Edwin Oudshoorn
    Tessa Packard London
    Jenny Packham
    Isabell Schulz
    Taffin/James de Givenchy
    Jan Taminiau
    The Tudor Tailor
    Viktor & Rolf
    Mart Visser
    De Vroomen  
    Daniel von Weinberger
    Zazi Vintage

    Fabrics

    The following fabric designers have lent their fabrics (in which a number of women have been draped) for the project:

    Donghia/Rubelli
    Watts of Westminster
    Rho Interiors/Fortuny
     Schumacher
    Colefax and Fowler

    Vintage

    In several cases vintage/period clothes have been used, such as this early nineteenth century dress. Most of these come from the collection of Carla van de Puttelaar
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