Exhibition Overview:
“The Costume Institute’s spring 2018 exhibition—at The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters—features a dialogue between fashion and medieval art from The Met collection to examine fashion’s ongoing engagement with the devotional practices and traditions of Catholicism.
Serving as the cornerstone of the exhibition, papal robes and accessories from the Sistine Chapel sacristy, many of which have never been seen outside The Vatican, are on view in the Anna Wintour Costume Center. Fashions from the early twentieth century to the present are shown in the Byzantine and medieval galleries, part of the Robert Lehman Wing, and at The Met Cloisters.”
We saw many of the dresses at the Met Fifth Avenue, but the crowds were overwhelming and there was so much to see there. The Cloisters’ Heavenly Bodies exhibit was fantastic and so beautifully integrated into the museum. I didn’t photograph all of the dresses, but here are my favorites.
Sacrament 1
The Garden of Eden
The Crusades
The Unicorn Tapestries – this one was my favorite and the photograph does not do it justice. The unicorn image is much more subtle in person and the textures of the dress really unites the magical nature of the unicorn, the sacrifice of Jesus (the unicorn is a metaphor for him), and the rich needlework of the tapestries.
If you get to New York City and are at all interested in religious art and architecture, or just want a peaceful place to rest, I recommend The Cloisters. This exhibition runs through October 8. If you can’t make it there you may enjoy the rich selection of imagery on The Met’s website, such as this overview.
I hope you find some beauty in your day.
lunanista 