One of visitors’ favorite paintings in the Cape Ann Museum is Charles Hopkinson’s oil on canvas Three Dancing Girls, also known as Ladies Chain. Done between 1915 and 1923, the painting is an endearing portrait of three of the artist’s five daughters, Harriot, Mary and Elinor, playing on the lawn of Sharksmouth, the family’s home in Manchester. Infused with light and capturing the sense of joyful spontaneity associated with childhood and summertime, the painting never fails to draw visitors in as they enjoy the galleries.

In the painting, Mary Hopkinson (second from left) is wearing a red and black dress with velvet trim that dates to the mid-19th century and once belonged to one of her aunts. The dress is made of silk taffeta and consists of a full skirt with two bodices, a day bodice to be worn for casual events, and a ball bodice for more formal occasions. The day bodice, which extends below the waist and is being worn by Mary in the painting, has a jewel neckline set off by a white collar. Its Pagoda shaped sleeves with their lace undersleeves were all the rage during the 1850s and into the ‘60s. The sleeves went very low onto the arm, making the shoulders appear wide and sloping. The skirt was full and would have been supported by either hoops or petticoats. The overall design of the dress was intended to accentuate the smallness of the waist. It is interesting to note that in 1923, when Dancing Girls was completed, women’s fashions were far more streamlined, often incorporating androgynous forms that minimized a woman’s natural shape.

By the time Charles Hopkinson finished Three Dancing Girls, his reputation as one of this country’s most important portrait painters was well established and his services were in constant demand. Throughout his long and productive career, however, his five daughters, whether playing dress-up and dancing on the lawn, or posing formally inside Sharksmouth, remained his favorite subject to paint. One of his children later recalled: “We all thought it was the duty of every child to sit quietly while her father painted her.” ■

Before it closes at the end of the day on Sunday, March 26, all are encouraged to visit the Museum’s special expanded exhibition exploring the amazing work of the Folly Cove Designers, an exhibition that includes clothing designed and made by members of the group.  

The Folly Cove Designers were in operation from 1941 to 1969 and, during their relatively brief but spectacularly successful time in business, earned the well-deserved respect of people far and wide. Designed and Hand-Blocked by the Folly Cove Designers explores the accomplishments of the group, calling out many of the Designers who used the fabrics they designed and printed to create clothing.  Working almost exclusively with cotton, linen and other lightweight materials, Designers made skirts, dresses for women and children, shorts, vests and scarves. They also made table linens and aprons. Their designs, which were often extraordinarily intricate, leant themselves perfectly to clothing, particularly the heavily pleated mid-length skirts the group was best known for.  

Included in the Museum’s special exhibition are examples of clothing made by Louise Kenyon, who was likely the most accomplished seamstress in the group and who, along with fellow Designer Ida Bruno, had examples of her clothing picked up by Jay’s department store. Additional items made by Mary Maletskos, Elizabeth Holloran and Peggy Norton are also on display. Interestingly, Eino Natti, one of the few men in the group and one of the most productive in terms of the number of designs he created and their complexity, does not appear to have ever created any clothing with his fabrics. One standout piece in the show is a simple sleeveless boat neck shift, made by Mary Maletskos using her design Nasturtiums. ■

In case you missed it, check out Boston Globe art critic Murray Whyte’s glowing review of Designed and Hand-Blocked by the Folly Cove Designers.

You might also want to stop in the Museum on Saturday, March 11, to hear Sinikka Nogelo talk about her 1987 film on the Folly Cove Designers. Reserve a seat here.

With these looks back at some of the fashions of Cape Ann from the past two centuries, you may be wondering how has the Museum showcased fashion of this century? To start, we look to this 2009 Video Vault lecture given by Sigrid Olsen: Art Becomes Fashion in which she discusses blending her art with textiles in her shop in Rockport.