Marguerite Papasian

The photograph shows Marguerite, the wife of Edgar Papasian. She is standing in front of a big harp, playing it with her right hand. She is wearing an elegant evening dress, which accentuates her relatively corpulent figure. The dress seems to have an underskirt that extends down onto the floor. The highlight of this garment is its lavishly decorated upper part: it has a V-shaped neckline with a wide open décolleté, and long, narrow sleeves ending with frills; the upper arm is covered with another layer of fabric with elaborate designs, series of buttons and pleats. This decoration extends also on the chest and the back. Her rich hair is caught up to form an impressive coiffure.