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F.L. Dunne and Company, New York and Boston

Suit worn by Richard Merkin, 1968

Description

Maker

  • F.L. Dunne and Company, New York and Boston, est. ca. 1910

Title

Suit worn by Richard Merkin

Year

1968

Medium

Wool twill-weave, cotton plain-weave shirt

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • wool

Place

United States of America

Type

  • Fashion,
  • Costume

Credit

Gift of Richard Merkin

Object Number

1999.65.2

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Artist, Rebel, Dandy

April 26 - August 18, 2013

Richard Merkin passionately supported New York City's bespoke industry, patronizing companies such as F. L. Dunne, tailor of this dynamic three-piece tweed suit. In an era of increasingly asual attire, Merkin sought to resurrect the flaneur image. He hung Walter Sickert's caricature of Beerbohm, seen in the other gallery, between his two clothes closets as a reminder of Beerbohm's philosophy, style, and humor.
Merkin's feelings about his style were sometimes romantic: "There's a lot of sincerity and belief in it. I guess I'm a dandy at heart who seeks quality at every level of existence." He could be astutely aware of the politics of his dress: "There is a degree of satire, of the creative violation of propriety. I was not to the manner born; therefore to simply appropriate the manner would not have been satisfactory." He also said, "I'm an artist who likes to observe and make a statement, so my dress has something to do with journalism, reportage."

Related

F.L. Dunne and Company, New York and Boston

jacket

F.L. Dunne and Company, New York and Boston

vest, ca. 1965

F.L. Dunne and Company, New York and Boston

trousers, ca. 1965

More objects +

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Suit worn by Richard Merkin with the accession number of 1999.65.2. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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