Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination

Home , Catholic imagination, Cornelius Jansen, Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, Fascia (sash), Francesco Messina, Mozzetta

INTRODUCTION

Catholics live in an enchanted world, a world of statues and holy water, stained glass and votive candles, saints and religious medals, rosary beads and holy pictures. But these Catholic paraphernalia are mere hints of a deeper and more pervasive religious sensibility that inclines Catholics to see the Holy lurking in creation. —Andrew Greeley, The Catholic Imagination (2000)

“Heavenly Bodies” features the work of designers who for the most part were raised in the Roman Catholic tradition. While their current relationships to Catholicism vary, most acknowledge its enduring influence on their imaginations. On the surface, this influence is expressed through explicit Catholic imagery and symbolism as well as references to specific garments worn by the clergy and religious orders. On a deeper level, it manifests as a reliance on storytelling, and specifically on metaphor—which the sociologist Andrew Greeley describes as the essential characteristic of a particular sensibility he defines as “the Catholic imagination.”

This exhibition explores how the Catholic imagination has shaped the creativity of designers and how it is conveyed through their narrative impulses. These impulses are reflected in the organization of the exhibition, which unfolds as a series of short stories told through conversations between religious artworks in The Met collection and fashions of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The Catholic imagination also operates on an experiential level, and, accordingly, the show’s configuration evokes the concept and practice of a pilgrimage.

The journey begins at The Met Fifth Avenue in the Byzantine and medieval art galleries and continues in the Anna Wintour Costume Center. It concludes at The Met Cloisters in northern Manhattan, where elements from French monasteries have been rebuilt as four cloisters. While the fashions might seem far removed from the sanctity of the Catholic Church, these contexts illuminate the myriad ways in which they embody the imaginative traditions of Catholicism. Taken together, the fashions and artworks in “Heavenly Bodies” sing in unison with distinctly enchanted and enchanting voices.

#MetHeavenlyBodies The exhibition is made possible by Christine and Stephen A. Schwarzman and VERSACE Additional support is provided by CONDÉ NAST Exhibition design by Diller Scofidio + Renfro Photography is prohibited in the Anna Wintour Costume Center.

THE MET FIFTH AVENUE

MARY AND MICHAEL JAHARIS GALLERIES OF BYZANTINE ART

NORTH GALLERY (300)

Mosaics I The center of public religious life in the Byzantine world, churches made the heavenly paradise visible to the devout. Monumental figures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and saints worked in richly colored mosaic and fresco covered many of their interior walls. These elaborate decorations, particularly the mosaics with their glittering tesserae, have provided an infinite source of inspiration for designers. On display in this gallery are five dresses from Dolce & Gabbana’s autumn/winter 2013–14 collection, which was inspired by the dazzling mosaics of the Monreale Cathedral in Sicily. Iconic images from the cathedral’s tilework, most frequently those of saints, have been skillfully printed and meticulously embroidered onto the garments. Those images are combined with others from mosaics in additional religious sites in Sicily, such as the Cathedral of Cefalù, the Martorana or Co-Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Admiral, and the Palatine Chapel of the Palace of the Normans. The hand-stitched paillettes that embellish the dresses evoke the medium of mosaic, in which each tile is placed separately to form the overall design, as can be seen in the two floor mosaics in this gallery.

Dolce & Gabbana (Italian, founded 1985) Domenico Dolce (Italian, born 1958) Stefano Gabbana (Italian, born 1962) EVENING DRESS, autumn/winter 2013–14 Polychrome printed silk jacquard, embroidered polychrome crystals, seed beads, gold paillettes, and gold metal thread Courtesy Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana (Italian, founded 1985) Domenico Dolce (Italian, born 1958) Stefano Gabbana (Italian, born 1962) EVENING DRESS, autumn/winter 2013–14 Beige silk organza, embroidered polychrome paillettes and seed beads, clear crystals, and mother-of-pearl–encrusted stones Courtesy Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana (Italian, founded 1985) Domenico Dolce (Italian, born 1958) Stefano Gabbana (Italian, born 1962) EVENING DRESS, autumn/winter 2013–14 Beige silk organza, embroidered polychrome paillettes, crystals and seed beads, silk and gold metal thread Courtesy Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana (Italian, founded 1985) Domenico Dolce (Italian, born 1958) Stefano Gabbana (Italian, born 1962) EVENING DRESS, autumn/winter 2013–14 Beige silk organza, embroidered polychrome crystals, seed beads, silk and gold metal thread, gold and silver paillettes, and mother-of-pearl– encrusted stones Courtesy Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana (Italian, founded 1985) Domenico Dolce (Italian, born 1958) Stefano Gabbana (Italian, born 1962) EVENING DRESS, autumn/winter 2013–14 Polychrome printed silk jacquard, embroidered polychrome crystals, gold and bronze paillettes, and gold metal thread Courtesy Dolce & Gabbana

SOUTH GALLERY (301)

Mosaics II The center of public religious life in the Byzantine world, churches made the heavenly paradise visible to the devout. Monumental figures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and saints worked in richly colored mosaic and fresco covered many of their interior walls. These elaborate decorations, particularly the mosaics with their glittering tesserae—such as the example on view here depicting the interior of an early church—have provided an infinite source of inspiration for designers. Featured here are five dresses from Gianni Versace’s autumn/winter 1997–98 collection, which, like the pieces from his autumn/winter 1991–92 collection displayed in the crypt below the Great Hall stairs, were inspired by the striking mosaics of Ravenna’s Byzantine monuments, including: the Arian Baptistry, the Basilica of San Vitale, the Chapel of Sant’Andrea, the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, and the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe. This influence is expressed in the fabric of the dresses, a nonwoven, metal-mesh material known as Oroton, which gives the illusion of intricate tesserae. The defining decorative element of the garments is an elaborate cross, the form of which was

directly inspired by the gilded silver processional cross that introduces this gallery, which Versace discovered while visiting The Met exhibition “The Glory of Byzantium” (1997).

Gianni Versace (Italian, founded 1978) Gianni Versace (Italian, 1946–1997) EVENING DRESS, autumn/winter 1997–98 haute couture Gold metal mesh, gold silk charmeuse, appliquéd amber crystals Gift of Donatella Versace, 1999 (1999.137.1) Hair by Shay Ashual

Gianni Versace (Italian, founded 1978) Gianni Versace (Italian, 1946–1997) EVENING DRESS, autumn/winter 1997–98 haute couture Gold metal mesh, appliquéd amber crystals Courtesy Gianni Versace Archives Hair by Shay Ashual

Gianni Versace (Italian, founded 1978) Gianni Versace (Italian, 1946–1997) WEDDING ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 1997– 98 haute couture Silver metal mesh, white silk tulle, appliquéd clear crystals Courtesy Gianni Versace Archives Hair by Shay Ashual

CRYPT (302)

Gianni Versace (Italian, founded 1978) Gianni Versace (Italian, 1946–1997) EVENING TOPS, autumn/winter 1991–92 Black silk georgette and charmeuse, embroidered polychrome crystals, and gold silk and metal thread Courtesy Gianni Versace Archives

Gianni Versace (Italian, founded 1978) Gianni Versace (Italian, 1946–1997) JACKET, autumn/winter 1991–92 Green silk tulle, embroidered polychrome silk thread, gold silk and metal thread, polychrome faceted crystals, green seed beads, and gold metal hardware Courtesy Gianni Versace Archives

The mosaics of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo as well as those from other religious buildings in and around Ravenna, including the Arian Baptistry, the Basilica of San Vitale, the Chapel of Sant’Andrea, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, and the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe inspired Gianni Versace’s autumn/winter 1991–92 collection. The seminal collection includes jackets and halter tops with Byzantine icons embroidered entirely in crystals, creating an immediate visual link to the luminous tesserae of the mosaics. Here, they are paired with Byzantine icons from The Met collection.

APSE (303)

Jean Paul Gaultier (French, born 1952) “EX-VOTO” EVENING ENSEMBLE, spring/summer 2007 haute couture Gray silk mousseline, white silk-metal lace, crocheted gold and silver silk and iridescent crystals, appliquéd holograms and aluminum ex-votos Courtesy Gaultier, Paris Hair by Shay Ashual

In this ensemble, titled “Ex-Voto,” Jean Paul Gaultier was inspired by Catholic examples of the practice of placing a votive offering—or ex-voto (from the Latin ex voto suscepto, “from the vow made”)—in a church or shrine, in thanksgiving for a miracle received (see also the cape by Elsa Schiaparelli opposite). While the types and materials of ex-votos vary considerably, Gaultier has focused his attention on aluminum plaques of people and body parts, 5

which are sewn onto the crocheted bodice of the dress in a pastiche of gratitude and devotion. These plaques establish a formal and conceptual connection to the copper panels displayed along the templon above; both function as captivating testimonials of faith and compelling narratives for the faithful.

Gianni Versace (Italian, founded 1978) Donatella Versace (Italian, born 1955) JACKET, spring/summer 2018 Black leather, embroidered green and gold silk and metal cord, black and silver metal studs and hardware, and polychrome crystals, bugle beads, and seed beads Courtesy Gianni Versace S.p.A

Gianni Versace’s autumn/winter 1991–92 collection (examples from which are featured in the crypt below the stairs) included leather “Perfecto” jackets embroidered with Byzantine crosses. His sister Donatella revisited these for her spring/summer 2018 collection, marking the twentieth anniversary of Gianni Versace’s brutal murder. Her collection functioned as a poignant tribute to his timeless creations, which were often marked by an irreverent conflation of the sacred and the profane.

Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973) CAPE, 1938 Black wool crepe, embroidered polychrome crystals, gilt metal, and gold silk and metal thread Courtesy Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, Collection Union Française du Costume

Elsa Schiaparelli often incorporated autobiographical references into her work, including those from her Catholic upbringing. Here, the form of the cape evokes the zimarra worn by the clergy, while its embroidered motifs recall devotional offerings, or ex-votos (see also the dress by Jean Paul Gaultier opposite), placed in churches or shrines in thanksgiving for miracles received. In addition to traditional iconography, such as the sacred heart, the cape includes various nautical motifs, a popular subject in ex-votos of the early twentieth century and a possible reference to safe passage by sea.

Christian Lacroix (French, born 1951) “GOLD-GOTHA” ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 1988– 89 haute couture Black silk-wool gabardine, black silk chiffon, embroidered polychrome crystals, gold seed beads, and gold and purple metallic synthetic leather Courtesy Maison Christian Lacroix, Paris

The cross—symbol of Christ’s Passion and sign of the Christian faith—was ubiquitous in the Byzantine world. While styles and forms varied, one of the most valued was the crux gemmata, or jeweled cross (see the example on view in an adjacent case). Christian Lacroix has embellished and emboldened this jacket with an extravagant version. It includes more than one hundred brightly colored crystals and seed beads applied to gold leather incised and punched to resemble engraving and repoussé, techniques often used in jeweled crosses. Anna Wintour famously featured the jacket on her first cover for American Vogue, after being appointed its editor in 1988. Worn by the Israeli model Michaela Bercu, it was styled, irreverently, with a pair of stone-washed jeans by Guess.

House of Chanel (French, founded 1913) Karl Lagerfeld (French, born Germany, 1938) GILET, 2007–8 Métiers d’Art Gilt metal, enamel, polychrome glass cabochons, clear and black faceted crystals, mother-of-pearl–encrusted stones, black silk velvet Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection

Karl Lagerfeld references lavish Byzantine and medieval reliquary crosses in this gilet, which links a variety of styles together like chainmail. One element is based on the Maltese cross, a type closely associated with Gabrielle Chanel—perhaps most notably in the famous enameled cuffs created for her by Fulco di Verdura (displayed in a case in this gallery). At the center of the cross sits the brand’s iconic logo, two interlocking C’s (based on Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s initials), rendered in faux diamonds. The logo, used from 1954 to accent the gilt buttons and gilt- chain belts of the designer’s suits, has attained its own status of icon and relic.

House of Chanel (French, founded 1913) Gabrielle Chanel (French, 1883–1971) Goossens (French, founded 1950) PENDANTS, ca.1960 Rock crystal, 18-carat gold Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection 7

House of Chanel (French, founded 1913) Karl Lagerfeld (French, born Germany, 1938) PENDANTS, autumn/winter 1993–94 Quartz, gilt metal, polychrome glass stones Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection

This group of crosses by Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld is made from rock crystal, (transparent quartz). Valued for its physical properties of strength and transparency, it also acquired various metaphorical associations, such as with the “river of life” and the resurrected Christ. For these reasons, rock crystal had widespread liturgical applications in Byzantine and medieval Europe, including in altar decoration, the protection and magnification of relics, and the fashioning of amulets and crosses—a practice invoked here by Chanel and Lagerfeld.

House of Chanel (French, founded 1913) Goossens (French, founded 1950) PENDANT AND NECKLACE, spring/summer 1973 haute couture Gilt metal, pearls Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection

House of Chanel (French, founded 1913) Gabrielle Chanel (French, 1883–1971) Goossens (French, founded 1950) PENDANT, ca. 1960 Gilt bronze Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection

PENDANT FROM THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF GABRIELLE CHANEL Byzantine, 9th–12th century Bronze Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection

Displayed here are pendant crosses created by Goosens in collaboration with Gabrielle Chanel and the Byzantine original on which they are based (given to Chanel by a friend, the journalist Hélène Gordon-Lazareff). The modern creations are so faithful to the original as to be almost indistinguishable. Just as pendant crosses were one of the most persistent forms of jewelry in Byzantium, serving as a marker of the wearer’s faith, Chanel’s versions were highly sought after by her clients, worn as a sign of loyalty to her particular brand of modernism.

House of Chanel (French, founded 1913) Gabrielle Chanel (French, 1883–1971) Goossens (French, founded 1950) NECKLACE, ca. 1960 Gilt metal, polychrome glass stones Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection

House of Chanel (French, founded 1913) Gabrielle Chanel (French, 1883–1971) Goossens (French, founded 1950) PENDANT, autumn/winter 1965–66 haute couture Green and red glass stones, brass Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection

House of Chanel (French, founded 1913) Gabrielle Chanel (French, 1883–1971) Goossens (French, founded 1950) PENDANT, ca. 1960 Green and red glass stones, gilt bronze Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection

Duke Fulco di Verdura (Italian, 1899–1978) for Gabrielle Chanel (French, 1883–1971) “MALTESE CROSS” CUFF BRACELETS, ca. 1935 White enamel, 18-karat yellow gold, emerald, amethyst, ruby, sapphire, aquamarine, citrine, and topaz Courtesy Verdura Museum Collection

House of Chanel (French, founded 1913) Gabrielle Chanel (French, 1883–1971) Goossens (French, founded 1950) CUFF BRACELETS, ca. 1965 Black and white Bakelite, gilt metal, and green and clear glass crystals Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection

Kenneth Jay Lane (American, 1932–2017) CUFF BRACELETS, 1970s Black Bakelite, polychrome glass stones, gilt metal Courtesy Sandy Schreier

House of Chanel (French, founded 1913) Gabrielle Chanel (French, 1883–1971) BROOCH, 1930s Gold, rubies, sapphires, citrines, tourmalines, peridots, and aquamarines Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection

House of Chanel (French, founded 1913) Gabrielle Chanel (French, 1883–1971) BROOCH, 1930s Gold, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, citrines, tourmalines, aquamarines, amethysts, moonstones, and beryls Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection

Gabrielle Chanel started producing fine jewelry inflected with Byzantine influences in the early 1930s, developing it in collaboration with her friend Fulco di Verdura, a Sicilian-born duke originally hired to design textiles. Verdura created Chanel’s iconic enameled cuffs set with faceted and cabochon semiprecious stones, which were later copied for Chanel as costume jewels by Maison Gripoix and Robert Goossens. From the 1950s, Goossens collaborated with Chanel to create a range of jewelry featuring pendant crosses set with red and green stones. The American jeweler Kenneth Jay Lane, known for ersatz copies, created his versions in the 1970s.

Medieval Europe Gallery (304)

DRESSED MADONNA I The Virgin Mary is one of the most prevalent figures in the tapestries, sculptures, altarpieces, and stained-glass windows of The Met’s medieval galleries. As the mother of Jesus Christ, Mary was central to medieval religious belief and practice. The twelfth and thirteenth centuries witnessed an extraordinary growth of the cult of the Virgin. She was worshipped as the Bride of Christ and queen of heaven, as well as the personification of the Church and intercessor for the salvation of mankind. A popular Marian devotion that dates to the early Middle Ages but took root later in the period is the dressed Madonna and Child, a theme also explored at The Met Cloisters. It is probable that the two wood statues on the south wall of this gallery would have been adorned with costumes, gifts, or votive offerings, especially during processions. This devotion continues today, and several fashion designers have created garments for Madonna and Child sculptures. Featured in this gallery is an example by Yves Saint Laurent, designed for the Chapel of Notre- Dame de Compassion in Paris, and another by Riccardo Tisci, made for the Parish of Saint Peter the Apostle in Palagianello, Italy.

Riccardo Tisci (Italian, born 1974) The Poor Benedettine Cassinesi Nuns of Lecce (founded 1133) STATUARY VESTMENT FOR THE MADONNA DELLE GRAZIE, 2015; original design, 1950 Blue silk jacquard and gold metal passementerie, embroidered Swarovski crystals and gold metal thread and beads, ivory silk faille, embroidered polychrome crystals, gold paillettes, and metal studs Courtesy the Church of Our Lady of Graces, Parish of Saint Peter the Apostle, Palagianello (Province of Taranto) Hair by Shay Ashual

Riccardo Tisci created this ensemble for the statue of Our Lady of Graces in Palagianello, Italy, basing it on the original ensemble created by the Sisters of the Order of the Poor Benedictine Cassinesi of Lecce. Tisci worked closely with the textile manufacturer Lorma, the embroiderer Jato, and the Semprini workshop for ecclesiastical vestments to re-create and refine the earlier design. The resulting hand-dyed and hand-embroidered garments required three thousand hours of labor to complete—the kind of expenditure that, in 1530, led to a papal decree declaring such lavishness immoral and indecent. Even so, the persistence of similar devotions into the twenty- first century testifies to the ongoing practice and the enduring appeal of the cult of the Virgin Mary.

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Goossens (French, founded 1950) STATUARY VESTMENT FOR THE VIRGIN OF EL ROCÍO, ca. 1985 Gold silk brocade with white and pink silk satin, gold silk and metal Chantilly lace, gold metal with polychrome crystals and pearls Courtesy Chapelle Notre-Dame de Compassion, Paris

This ensemble, created for a statue of the Virgin in the Chapelle Notre-Dame de Compassion in Paris, includes a gold silk brocade dress and mantle made in the workrooms of Yves Saint Laurent and a tiara and accessories created in collaboration with the jeweler Goossens. It was commissioned by Father Jean-Louis Ducamp following a request by Henri d’Orléans, Count of Paris, to install a copy of the Virgin of El Rocío in the chapel. The original, which dates to the sixteenth century and is housed at the Hermitage of El Rocío, Spain, was venerated by the count’s grandmother, a native of Seville. According to legend, the Virgin’s wooden form was discovered in the trunk of a tree that grew on the site where the hermitage is located.

Medieval Sculpture Hall (305)

ECCLESIASTICAL FASHION SHOW The design of the Medieval Sculpture Hall resembles the longitudinal plan of Western churches, with its central aisle, or nave, and two side aisles. This layout responds to both the structure and character of liturgical worship and amplifies its emphasis on the ceremonial and the processional. There are distinct parallels between a traditional fashion runway presentation and the liturgical processions of the Roman Catholic Church. Typically, both follow an orderly, predetermined arrangement; both involve active participants (models or the clergy) and passive ones (guests or the laity); and both are accompanied by music. 11

Essentially, fashion presentations and church processions are theatrical spectacles that rely on the tropes of performance. Federico Fellini explores these connections in his “ecclesiastical fashion show,” a scene from his film Roma (1972) that unfolds as a satirical and carnivalesque presentation of religious styles of dress that reflect the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. Employing Fellini’s fashion show as an organizing principle, the designs on display in this gallery explore this “holy ordering” through a cast of religious characters identifiable by their dress

Music by Michael Nyman (British, born 1944). “Time Lapse,” from A Zed & Two Noughts, 1985. Courtesy MN Records (Published by Chester Music)

Federico Fellini (Italian, 1920–1993). ROMA, 1972 Single-channel digital video, transferred from 35 mm film, color, mono, 9 min. 56 sec. Courtesy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.

(Center aisle)

House of Givenchy (French, founded 1952) Alexander McQueen (British, 1969–2010) EVENING ENSEMBLE, spring/summer 1999 haute couture Black silk taffeta, white duchesse satin, white cotton lace, white silk organza, black leather Courtesy Givenchy Hair by Shay Ashual

Alexander McQueen invested this dramatic, sweeping cassock, or soutane, with a street-style sedition by pairing it with leather biker trousers. In a move typical of his postmodern eclecticism, he layered this reference over another to flamenco dancer costumes, seen in the waterfall of tiered white lace ruffles lining the skirt of the dress.

Valentino S.p.A. (Italian, founded 1959) Pierpaolo Piccioli (Italian, born 1967) EVENING DRESS, autumn/winter 2017–18 haute couture Red silk taffeta Courtesy Valentino S.p.A. Hair by Shay Ashual

The opulence of this dress by Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino recalls the silk moiré great cape, or cappa magna, worn as choir dress by cardinals and bishops (in colors corresponding with rank) for particularly special and solemn liturgical occasions. Made from silk 12

taffeta, the dress has a form that implies but does not quite equal the overblown proportions of the cappa magna, with its ten-foot-long train (it originally measured fifteen feet until 1952, when Pope Pius XII directed that it be shortened).

House of Dior (French, founded 1947) John Galliano (British, born Gibraltar, 1960) EVENING ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2000– 2001 haute couture White silk gros de Tours, embroidered gold paillettes and bugle beads, gold, orange, brown, and clear crystals, gold silk and metal thread, and gold metal passementerie Courtesy Dior Heritage Collection, Paris

The lavish materials and ornate embroidery of this haute couture ensemble by John Galliano for Christian Dior evoke the baroque splendor of the liturgical vestments on view in the Anna Wintour Costume Center. Stylistically, it is based on the cope, a long cloak fastened at the chest with a clasp, and the mitre, a form of headdress reserved for bishops and the supreme pontiff. The embroidery required the combined efforts of the Maison Lesage and Broderies Vermont ateliers, which might explain the inscription on the back of the ensemble: “Dieu est mon Maitre” (God is my Master). Such an expression of the highly specialized skills of the haute couture is a reminder that fashion, not unlike the Roman Catholic Church, is defined by a system governed by hierarchy.

(Left aisle)

EARTHLY HIERARCHY Religious dress functions not only to distinguish one religious community from another, but also to distinguish members within a given community from one another. This is true within the Roman Catholic Church, where dress serves to reflect and reinforce divisions based on rank and gender, themes explored in the fashions on view here. The hierarchy of the Church is most emphatically communicated through color: black for priests, violet for bishops, scarlet for cardinals, and white for the pope. These hues are reflected in both the daily dress and the formal or official (colloquially known as “pian”) dress of the secular clergy. Nuns and monks elect a deliberately modest position due in part to their status as “consecrated religious,” which the canon law of the Church describes as “characterized by the public profession of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience.” Technically, the term “nun” refers to members of enclosed or semi-enclosed religious orders who take “solemn” vows, while “sister” refers to members of religious congregations who take “simple” vows. 13

THE SOUTANE The essential garment for both daily and formal dress of the secular clergy is the cassock, or soutane. It became identified with the Church in the late twelfth century, when it was abandoned by the laity and adopted exclusively by the clergy. Topped with a white clerical collar, the floor- length, long-sleeved garment usually features thirty-three buttons, symbolic of the years of the life of Christ. For daily dress, all members of the clergy (excluding the supreme pontiff) wear a black soutane trimmed in black silk, with rank chiefly denoted through the color of the sash (fascia) and skullcap (zucchetto). For formal dress, those colors are matched in the soutane’s trimming.

Raf Simons (Belgian, born 1968) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2000–2001 Black wool twill, gray flannel knit, black wool gabardine Courtesy Modemuseum Hasselt

Given its status and ubiquity in the Catholic Church, the soutane has long held a particular fascination for designers. This version by Raf Simons, a rather faithful interpretation, was featured in the autumn/winter 2000–2001 collection inspired by his Catholic childhood. Of the collection, Simons commented: “It was about memory, but also a settlement. There were many religious references . . . but also deconstructions. The collection represented a restriction that I tried to free myself of.”

Dolce & Gabbana (Italian, founded 1985) Domenico Dolce (Italian, born 1958) Stefano Gabbana (Italian, born 1962) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 1997–98 Black wool tricoline, white cotton poplin, black wool gabardine, black synthetic jacquard tulle Courtesy Dolce & Gabbana

The “ecclesiastical fashion show” in Federico Fellini’s film Roma (1972) provided inspiration for Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s autumn/ winter 1997–98 collection, which presented various adaptations of the soutane as a “take on masculine/feminine.” This duality, expressed in the tailoring and accessories, also drew upon another filmic reference: The Priest’s Wife (1971) directed by Dino Risi. In one scene, the movie’s protagonists Don Mario Carlesi (Marcello Mastroianni) and Valeria Billi (Sophia Loren) are dressed in a black soutane and a long, double- breasted black coat dress, respectively—a deliberate confusing (and confounding) of both gender distinctions and the boundaries between the clergy and the laity.

Jean Paul Gaultier (French, born 1952) “SURPRISE DE L’ICÔNE” ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 1997–98 haute couture Black silk velvet, painted silk, embroidered polychrome silk and gold metal thread, polychrome crystals, and beads Courtesy Gaultier, Paris

This black silk velvet “soutane” by Jean Paul Gaultier features an elaborately embroidered icon in the form of a triptych with folding wings, an allusion to the types of reliquary shrines on view in The Met’s medieval art galleries. Gaultier’s version can be opened or closed on the whim of 14

the wearer, hence the “surprise” in the title of the dress. When open, the top of the triptych frames the breasts of the wearer, a typical Gaultier provocation.

Sorelle Fontana (Italian, founded 1943) Zoe Fontana (Italian, 1911–1979) Micol Fontana (Italian, 1913–2015) Giovanna Fontana (Italian, 1915–2004) “IL PRETINO” DRESS, autumn/winter 1956–57 Black wool crepe and red silk satin Courtesy Fondazione Micol Fontana Historical Archive, Rome, Italy

The “Il Pretino” (Little Priest) dress was popularized by the actress Ava Gardner. Included in Sorelle Fontana’s autumn/winter 1956–57 collection as part of their “Cardinale” line, the dress is in fact based on a cardinal’s formal soutane trimmed with red silk.

Yves Saint Laurent (French, founded 1961) Stefano Pilati (Italian, born 1965) DRESS, autumn/winter 2005–6 Black silk mousseline, red silk chiffon, and red silk thread Courtesy Yves Saint Laurent

This dress by Stefano Pilati for Yves Saint Laurent is inspired by the zimarra, a caped version of the soutane worn by all ranks of the prelate (church dignitaries). Its red trimming, however, elevates it to the formal attire of cardinals. The dress was featured in Pilati’s autumn/winter 2005–6 collection for Yves Saint Laurent, which was inspired by seventeenth-century Flemish paintings of Jansenist priests and nuns. Eventually condemned as heretical by the Catholic Church, Jansenism was a movement based on the posthumously published work of the Dutch theologian Cornelius Jansen (1585–1638).

A.F.Vandevorst (Belgian, founded 1997) An Vandevorst (Belgian) Filip Arickx (Belgian) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2001–2 Black silk-rayon crepe and white cotton plain weave; black wool twill; purple silk-rayon crepe Courtesy A.F.Vandevorst

This ensemble was inspired by the daily dress of bishops, as evinced by the fuchsia color of the sash (fascia). It was featured in A.F.Vandevorst’s autumn/winter 2001–2 collection, which was based on the theme of “external decency” in respect to the vesture of the Catholic Church. Of the collection, the designers said, “There are no borders in using religious elements, as long as it is done with respect.”

House of Balenciaga (French, founded 1937) Demna Gvasalia (Georgian, born 1981) ENSEMBLE, spring/summer 2017 Black wool-silk twill, yellow silk satin brocaded with red and gold silk and metal thread Courtesy Balenciaga Archives, Paris 15

In his inaugural spring/summer 2017 menswear collection, Demna Gvasalia, creative director of Balenciaga since 2015, made reference to the significant influence of ecclesiastical vestments on the house’s founder, Cristobal Balenciaga. Although Gvasalia claimed that his starting point was a general concept of ceremony rather than any specific references to Catholicism, the collection is infused with allusions to the forms and colors of the clerical dress of the Roman Catholic Church. The style of this coat clearly relates to the soutane, and the yellow silk satin stole is made from a textile by Felisi, a supplier to the Vatican.

A.F.Vandevorst (Belgian, founded 1997) An Vandevorst (Belgian) Filip Arickx (Belgian) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2001–2 White cotton poplin, ivory grosgrain, wood, metal Courtesy Fashion Museum Province of Antwerp

This dress by A.F.Vandevorst is inspired by the alb, a garment seen on the three acolytes in the foreground of the painting Scenes from the Life of Saint Augustine of Hippo. A loose-fitting floor- length white tunic with long narrow sleeves that is usually belted at the waist, its origins can be traced to the tunica alba (white tunic) worn by Roman citizens in the early days of Christianity. This dress was featured in A.F.Vandevorst’s autumn/winter 2001–2 collection, which was based on the theme of “external decency” in respect to the vesture of the Catholic Church. It is accessorized with an oversized wooden rosary that terminates in a cross (inspired by the Red Cross sign and the art of Joseph Beuys) which serves as the logo of the design house.

(Right aisle)

THE HABIT The ensemble of clothing and accessories that compose female religious dress, including the tunic, scapular, and veil, is called a habit. Typically, the tunic (sometimes itself referred to as the habit) is belted at the waist with a broad sash or cincture, to which is attached a rosary (worn to the side). The scapular, a long apron-like garment, is worn over the tunic. A veil of varying lengths, but always falling over the neck, is usually placed over an underveil covering the hair and neck and attached to a close-fitting cap or coif. The ensemble also includes a bandeau across the forehead and a wimple (also known as a toque or guimpe) that covers the neck and shoulders and sometimes extends over the chin.

Thom Browne (American, born 1965) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2011–12 Black cashmere broadcloth, white cotton piqué, black mink, white Persian lamb Courtesy Thom Browne 16

This dress was featured in Thom Browne’s inaugural womenswear collection, inspired by Robert Wise’s film The Sound of Music (1965). Based on the habits in the film, worn by nuns from Salzburg’s Nonnberg Abbey, the dress adorned all the models at the start of the show as they stood in line like a choir of nuns. One by one, they were undressed by two male models dressed as priests to reveal brightly colored tweed suits—an ironic nod to the outfit worn by the film’s protagonist, Maria (Julie Andrews), on leaving the abbey, where she was a postulant, to assume a position as governess to the von Trapp family.

Thom Browne (American, born 1965) EVENING ENSEMBLE, 2018; original design: autumn/winter 2014–15 Black mink with white swakara intarsia, black cashmere flannel, black and white silk crepe-back satin, black wool mohair twill, and white sik faille Courtesy Thom Browne

These ensembles are from Thom Browne’s autumn/winter 2014-15 collection, which was partly inspired by the “ecclesiastical fashion show” in Federico Fellini’s film Roma (1972), specifically the nuns’ habits. Browne underscored their religious connotations through the symbol of the cross, masterfully inset into the dresses and capes. Typical of his playful subversion of Catholic iconography are the severed right arms of the crosses, a detail repeated on the hanging rosary created by the jeweler Sarah Jane Wilde.

Thom Browne (American, born 1965) EVENING ENSEMBLE, 2018; original design: autumn/winter 2014–15 Black mink with white astrakhan intarsia, black wool flannel, black and white silk charmeuse, and black silk wool and white silk faille Courtesy Thom Browne

This ensemble by Thom Browne is based on the formfitting gowns worn by aristocratic women in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, as depicted in the altarpiece The Life and Miracles of Saint Godelieve. Browne’s autumn/ winter 2014–15 collection was partly inspired by the “ecclesiastical fashion show” in Federico Fellini’s film Roma (1972), specifically the nuns’ habits. Browne underscored the religious connotations here through the symbol of the cross, masterfully inset into the dress and cape (styled after a mozzetta). Typical of his playful subversion of Catholic iconography is the severed right arm of the cross, a detail repeated on the hanging rosary. Created by the jeweler Sarah Jane Wilde, the rosary creates the illusion of a long-waisted silhouette that heightens the ensemble’s medieval sensibility.

Cimone (British, founded 2015) Carli Pearson (British, born 1979) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2017–18 Black and ivory wool crepe bonded to black and ivory wool-cotton double knit, black wool crepe, embroidered rubber Courtesy Cimone

Like the adjacent ensembles by Dolce & Gabbana, Carli Pearson’s design is imbued with a tailored severity. Its austerity, however, is tempered with a playfulness that invokes the costumes 17

of a subcultural group known as “fetish nuns.” Pearson said of this collection: “There is something innately appealing about the blasphemous concept of religious garments being seen as sexy—very much the opposite of their intended purpose. In my work, I love to play with these notions of power, and the provocative nature of the untouchable.”

Dolce & Gabbana (Italian, founded 1985) Domenico Dolce (Italian, born 1958) Stefano Gabbana (Italian, born 1962) “IDAMANTE” ENSEMBLE, spring/summer 2016 alta moda Black double wool crepe and black silk grosgrain Courtesy Dolce & Gabbana

Most designers cite the veil or the color black (sometimes with white) when invoking the habit of the Dominican nun. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana refer to both in these ensembles from their spring/summer 2016 alta moda collection. The designers also imbue the habit with their signature precision tailoring, stiffening its soft folds and hardening its delicate lines. In their hands, the veil solidifies into an egg-shaped helmet reminiscent of Pierre Cardin’s Space Age fashions.

Dolce & Gabbana (Italian, founded 1985) Domenico Dolce (Italian, born 1958) Stefano Gabbana (Italian, born 1962) “ANGELICA” ENSEMBLE, spring/summer 2016 alta moda Black double wool crepe with gold metal buttons; black double wool crepe, black silk satin and black silk grosgrain Courtesy Dolce & Gabbana

House of Moschino (Italian, founded 1983) Rossella Jardini (Italian, born 1952) ENSEMBLE, spring/summer 2014 Black and white synthetic crepe and white cotton canvas Courtesy Moschino

Rossella Jardini, like Franco Moschino (founder of the house), is known for her tongue-in-cheek theatricality. In this ensemble, her playfulness is expressed in the veil that recalls the iconic white-winged headdress (cornette) of the Daughters of Charity, popularized by Sally Field in the 1960s television series The Flying Nun. With its starched and folded wings, the cornette became a much beloved symbol of the order—so much so that when French statesman Charles de Gaulle was informed that the Sisters of Charity were changing their headdress to a soft veil (allegedly designed by Christian Dior) in the 1960s, he declared: “One might as well suggest changing the French flag!”

DOMINICAN HABIT In the Roman Catholic Church, color is used to differentiate communities of women religious. Brown is generally associated with the Franciscans and Carmelites, white with the Cistercians and Augustinians, and black with the Dominicans. The habit of the last—which typically

comprises a black tunic, scapular, and veil, and a white underveil, bandeau, and wimple worn over the tunic and scapular— is perhaps the most identifiable and recognizable.

This is in part, due to its strong graphic appeal, but arguably more because of its frequent depictions in popular culture: it is the habit worn by Audrey Hepburn in The Nun’s Story (1959), Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965), and Whoopie Goldberg in Sister Act (1992). These portrayals have elevated the figure of the Dominican nun to an almost mythic status in the collective imagination, a status that has, in turn, fueled the fashionable imagination, clearly evident in the fashions displayed in this gallery.

Riccardo Tisci (Italian, born 1974) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2005–6 Black silk jersey, white cotton poplin, embroidered glass stones Courtesy Riccardo Tisci

This “habit” by Riccardo Tisci consists of a long skirt that wraps over the head to shroud the entire body in a swathe of silk jersey. Its propriety, however, is both tenuous and temporary, as a flip of the wrist and a toss of the head brings the veil comes tumbling down in a gesture suggestive of a striptease. It is shown alongside a tapestry depicting Mary Magdalene dressed in an ensemble that later became associated with the habit of Dominican nuns.

(Balcony)

Cristobal Balenciaga (Spanish, 1895–1972) CHORAL ROBES, 1964; 1990s White silk crepe Courtesy Orfeón Donostiarra choir, San Sebastián, Spain Courtesy Balenciaga Archives, Paris

In 1945, Cristobal Balenciaga designed a robe for the Orfeón Donostiarra, a Spanish choir formed in 1897. Women employed in the Balenciaga workrooms were members of the ensemble. The loose-fitting, floor-length white tunic with long, tightly-fitting sleeves is reminiscent of the alb. The original design was cinched at the waist with a long, thick self-fabric wrap and featured a self-fabric bow at its V-shaped neckline. Balenciaga redesigned the robe in 1964, simplifying its lines by shortening and narrowing the sash, converting its neckline into a jewel or rounded neckline, and removing the original bow. The final design can be seen in the balcony above on a “choir” of twenty-one mannequins, which faces the enormous wrought-iron choir screen, or reja, once installed in the Cathedral of Valladolid in Spain.

CELESTIAL HIERARCHY The hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church extends beyond the earthly realm and into the celestial, with different rankings of saints and angels. The most influential angelic hierarchy was 19

proposed by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the fourth or fifth century, in his book De Coelesti Hierarchia (The Celestial Hierarchy). Drawing on passages from the New Testament, Pseudo-Dionysius developed a schema of three Hierarchies, each of which contained three Orders of Choirs. The highest ranking are Councillors (Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones); the middle are Governors (Dominions, Virtues, and Powers); and the lowest are Ministers (Principalities, Archangels, and Angels). Since Angels function as guides, protectors, and messengers to humans, they feature most prominently in the imagination of fashion designers. Examples by John Galliano for Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent can be seen in this gallery and adjacent Treasury. In the balcony facing the Spanish choir screen is a “choir of angels” wearing robes designed by Cristobal Balenciaga for the Orfeón Donostiarra, a concert choir based in Spain.

Mugler (French, founded 1974) Thierry Mugler (French, born 1948) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 1984–85 Gold-painted feathers; ivory silk taffeta Courtesy Fashion Museum Province of Antwerp; Courtesy Mugler Hair by Shay Ashual

Mugler (French, founded 1974) Thierry Mugler (French, born 1948) ENSEMBLE, 2018; original design: autumn/winter 1984–85 Silver-painted feathers; light grey silk taffeta Purchase, Gould Family Foundation, in Memory of Jo Copeland, 2018 (2018.223a-e) Hair by Shay Ashual

These Thierry Mugler dresses were featured in his tenth-anniversary collection “L’Hiver des Anges” (The Winter of the Angels), which included representations of angels from all levels of the Christian angelology (hierarchy). Those on display here are from the lowest category, Ministers, specifically Angels. In their winged splendor, they reflect traditional depictions, such as those on display in this gallery. Unlike the demure loose-fitting tunics in those artworks, however, Mugler’s angels wear strapless, contour-hugging dresses that cling to the body like wet drapery.

Christian Lacroix (French, born 1951) WEDDING ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2009–10 haute couture Ivory silk satin and tulle, ivory and gold silk-metal lace, embroidered polychrome organdy flowers, iridescent paillettes, gold metal thread, and clear crystals and seed beads Courtesy Maison Christian Lacroix, Paris

In the celestial court, the Virgin Mary reigns as Queen of Heaven, a status confirmed in the two altarpieces behind this wedding ensemble. This design by Christian Lacroix was inspired by the tradition of the dressed Madonna, a practice especially associated with Holy Week festivities in Spanish-speaking countries. The look of the dress evokes the Baroque style popular in Spain, Portugal, and the Hispanic and Portuguese colonies from the late sixteenth to the early eighteenth century. Known for his elaborate “Madonna” wedding dresses that invoke the concept of the “virgin bride,” Lacroix commented: “Every bridal gown, somewhere between the robes of a saint and a traditional Neapolitan costume, seems to me to contain a trace of those vanished memories, religious and superstitious, solemn and garish, mirage-like and forever fixed.”

House of Dior (French, founded 1947) John Galliano (British, born Gibraltar, 1960) “MADONNA” WEDDING ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2005–6 haute couture White silk tulle, embroidered white silk and metal thread Courtesy Dior Heritage Collection, Paris Hair by Shay Ashual

Piero di Giovanni Tedesco’s wall statue Adoring Angel (whose wings would originally have been inserted in the slot in the left shoulder) frames this wedding ensemble. Entitled “Madonna,” it formed part of a group of three other ensembles, “Virtue,” “Virgin,” and “Archangel,” all inspired by the Cuzco School, a Roman Catholic artistic tradition based in Cuzco, Peru, during the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries. Cusqueña paintings, produced for local churches as well as for private consumption, are characterized by their depictions of the Virgin, saints, and angels. The last are often depicted holding guns, as did the models in Galliano’s runway presentation. The angelic reference of this dress is made explicit in its “wings,” which echo those of the Yves Saint Laurent wedding ensemble in this gallery.

Yves Saint Laurent (French, founded 1961) Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) WEDDING ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 1977–78 haute couture Ivory silk crepe, Chantilly lace, and organza; white cotton organdy, embroidered silver metal thread, pearls and paillettes Courtesy Musée Yves Saint Laurent Hair by Shay Ashual

The three pilasters depicting trumpet- blowing angels by the workshop of Giovanni Pisano provide the context for this wedding dress by Yves Saint Laurent. Its angelic “wings” echo those of the John Galliano wedding ensemble also in this gallery. Like Galliano’s creation, its connection to God’s celestial messengers is heightened through its ethereal materials. The dress and train are made of silk from the textile manufacturer Abraham, while the embroidery was completed by Maison Hurel, an atelier also known for its exquisite textiles, especially lace and tulle.

Jean Paul Gaultier (French, born 1952) ENSEMBLE, spring/summer 1994 Ivory cotton tulle and silk satin, white cotton lace, silver metal, brown leather Courtesy Gaultier, Paris Hair by Shay Ashual

In this ensemble, Jean Paul Gaultier pairs his signature corset-girdle (after turn-of- the-twentieth-century styles) with an eighteenth-century-inspired chemise dress, and a fifteenth-century-inspired sleeve of plate armor to evoke the medieval martyr Joan of Arc. Burned at the stake on May 30, 1431, for her role in the Hundred Years War, Joan was declared a national symbol of France in 1803 by Napoleon Bonaparte. She was beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV (the mantle he wore during her canonization is on view in the Anna Wintour Costume Center). Here, the dress is paired with the Tomb Effigy of Jacquelin de Ferrière (opposite), a medieval man represented in full mail armor.

(Wall mounted)

Mugler (French, founded 1974) Thierry Mugler (French, born 1948) “MADONNA” EVENING ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 1984–85 Ivory and pale blue dip-dyed silk chiffon, embroidered blue and clear faceted crystals Courtesy Mugler

This ensemble by Thierry Mugler, titled “Madonna,” served as the finale to his ten- year-anniversary collection, staged at Le Zénith, an indoor arena in Paris. The model Pat Cleveland wore it as she was lowered from the ceiling of the auditorium on a cloud of dry ice, as if descending from heaven. Its placement here emphasizes links to ascension and particularly the dogma of the Assumption of Mary, which asserts that her body and soul were assumed into heavenly glory at her life’s end. The color of the dress refers to another dogma: the Immaculate Conception, or the belief that the Virgin Mary was born free from the stain of original sin. In artistic representations (especially after 1854, when Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma), she often wears a white tunic with a blue mantle.

Medieval Treasury (306)

TREASURES FOR HEAVEN I Notwithstanding the biblical injunction to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” rather than on earth (Matthew 6:20), medieval churches continued the ancient tradition of housing their most valuable objects in treasuries. The Met Fifth Avenue treasury, like a similar treasury at The Met Cloisters, contains key examples of such riches from across Europe, from the ninth to the fifteenth century. These works of art in precious materials are paired with fashions and accessories, some of which share formal associations, and which are treasures in and of themselves. Altar frontals, stained glass, rosaries, and silver and gold reliquaries offer material manifestations of faith that have been reinterpreted by designers in the vernacular of fashion. These objects attest to the luxury and artistic sophistication of medieval artists and patrons alike, and the juxtapositions here demonstrate the ability of these works to engage and inspire designers in the present.

Alexander McQueen (British, founded 1992) Alexander McQueen (British, 1969–2010) ENSEMBLE, spring/summer 1999 Birch plywood and ivory leather; ivory wool twill, and ivory silk lace Purchase, Gould Family Foundation Gift, in memory of Jo Copeland, 2011 (2011.170a, b) Hair by Shay Ashual

The late fourteenth-century oak altar frontal depicting the Coronation of the Virgin and the Adoration of the Magi surrounded by angels nearby, provides the context for this “angel” by Alexander McQueen. It was featured in his spring/ summer 1999 “No. 13” collection, which was inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement and explored the tension between man and machine. Those opposites are at once revealed and resolved in this piece, made from machine-cut, hand-punched strips of plywood that have been shaped and finished by hand. In this way, McQueen’s “angel” examines the distance between the pre-industrial age and the industrial age.

Craig Green (British, born 1986) “STAINED GLASS RUGS” INSTALLATION, 2018 Hand-painted polychrome beige cotton canvas Courtesy Craig Green

Craig Green’s site-specific installation reflects the display opposite of late medieval stained glass. The textile designs hail from his autumn/winter 2014–15 collection, which cited sources ranging from the tilework of Islamic mosques to the stained-glass windows of Gothic churches as represented in Painton Cowen’s books A Guide to Stained Glass in Britain and English Stained Glass. The patterns were created by hand-painting colored circles and other shapes onto plain canvas, layer by layer. The canvas was then folded at several points to create repeat prints, and finally “aged” through various washing processes.

(Left case)

Alexander McQueen (British, 1969–2010) Shaun Leane (British, born 1969) HEADDRESS, autumn/winter 1998–99 Silver and faceted red crystals Courtesy Susan Barrett and Barrett Barrera Projects

This headdress and adjacent breastplate were designed by Shaun Leane in collaboration with Alexander McQueen. Formally and conceptually, the breastplate evokes medieval reliquaries, specifically those in the form of body parts. Like those vessels, its rigid, silver-plated exoskeleton is fashioned after the part of the body it is designed to contain (and constrain)—the torso. Unlike a reliquary, however, the carapace is intended to enclose a living being, although the roses blooming on its surface appear petrified, frozen perfectly and permanently in the throes of death. This dual allusion to life and death is echoed in the headdress, which suggests dripping blood in the form of red beads.

House of Givenchy (French, founded 1952) Alexander McQueen (British, 1969–2010) Shaun Leane (British, born 1969) BREASTPLATE, spring/summer 2000 haute couture Silver-plated metal, resin, and old gold Courtesy Givenchy

(Right case)

House of Chanel (French, founded 1913) Chanel Fine Jewelry (French, founded 1993) “AUBAZINE” NECKLACE, 2014 18-karat white gold, diamonds, Tahitian and South Sea cultured pearls Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection

The title of this necklace refers to the orphanage at the Aubazine Abbey, where Gabrielle Chanel was educated. Its design of pearls and diamonds reflects the rosary’s five decades (groups of ten beads) and ten Hail Marys. Although Chanel claimed not to be religious, she carried in her pocket a holy card of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (popularly known as “The Little Flower of Jesus”).

Preen (British, founded 1996) Thea Bregazzi (Manx, born 1969) Justin Thornton (British, born 1968) SHIRT, autumn/winter 2001–2 Pale brown cotton tulle, embroidered cotton thread and black paillettes, silver metal and black plastic rosary beads Courtesy Preen

The adjacent rosary juxtaposing images of life death provides the context for the shirt by Preen and the mask by A.F.Vandevorst, which both cite Goth subculture. Originating in England during the early 1980s, Goth fashion can be characterized by a preponderance of the color black, influences from historical and fetishistic styles of dress, and the appropriation of religious iconography. The rosary, the Goth accessory par excellence, is used in the shirt and mask here for parodic and hyperbolic effect.

A.F.Vandevorst (Belgian, founded 1997) An Vandevorst (Belgian) Filip Arickx (Belgian) MASK, autumn/winter 2016–17 Black leather, silver metal chains and charms with black plastic beads Courtesy Jaysha Obispo

Robert Lehman Gallery (955)

Celestial Hierarchy One of the most extraordinary private art collections assembled in the United States, the Robert Lehman Collection is particularly strong in paintings of the Italian and the Northern Renaissance, many of which are based on religious themes and subjects. The saints and angels in those works provide context for the fashions shown in this gallery. Thierry Mugler’s ensembles reflect his engagement with the performative nature of fashion. His spectacular tenth-anniversary collection “L’Hiver des Anges” (The Winter of the Angels), comprised a cast of celestial characters inspired by the cults of angels, saints, and the Virgin. The dresses by Jeanne Lanvin claim a more specific association—the exquisitely dressed and beautifully choreographed angels in the early Italian Renaissance paintings of Fra Angelico. Known as “the Angelic painter,” Fra Angelico reveled in decorative detail and an elegant palette, the full range of which is perhaps most evident in his frescoes for the convent of San Marco in Florence (1438–45). These paintings, the climax of his artistic career, also inspired a capsule couture collection by Kate and Laura Mulleavy for Rodarte, on display in this gallery.

Music by Samuel Barber (American, 1910–1981). “Agnus Dei, Op. 11 (from Adagio for Strings),” 1936. Courtesy Iris Torres Schirmer publishing; ℗ 1993 Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd.

(Platform front)

House of Lanvin (French, founded 1889) Jeanne Lanvin (French, 1867–1946) “L’ANGE” EVENING DRESS, 1939 Blue silk crepe georgette, embroidered silver and gold paillettes Gift of Mrs. Harrison Williams, Lady Mendl, and Mrs. Ector Munn, 1946 (C.I.46.4.17a–c) Hair by Shay Ashual

The style and color of this dress by Jeanne Lanvin were inspired by the exquisitely dressed and beautifully choreographed angels in the paintings of the Dominican friar posthumously called Fra Angelico (known as “the angelic painter”). Its decorative embellishments of foliate arabesques embroidered with silver and gold paillettes find a visual parallel in the painted gold ornamentation on the blue garment of the angel in Fra Angelico’s Saint Dominic and His Companions Fed by Angels (ca. 1430–32). This dress was featured in the New York World’s Fair of 1939, displayed on a custom mannequin in the form of an angel, which has been recreated here by the sculptor Malcolm Hill.

LANVIN BLUE “Lanvin blue” was the name Jeanne Lanvin gave to the color of her dress displayed in this gallery. Its “recipe” was specially developed by the designer’s dye factories, and fiercely protected by Lanvin herself. It has been said that the color was produced as an homage to Fra Angelico. However, its hue falls somewhere between the cobalt of Gothic stained-glass windows and the lapis lazuli of Angelico’s blue-robed angels.

Rodarte (American, founded 2004) Kate Mulleavy (American, born 1979) Laura Mulleavy (American, born 1980) EVENING DRESS, 2011 Blue silk crepe-chiffon and chiffon, purple silk crepe-chiffon, embroidered blue paillettes Courtesy Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Rodarte (American, founded 2004) Kate Mulleavy (American, born 1979) Laura Mulleavy (American, born 1980) EVENING DRESS, 2011 Blue silk crepe, blue cotton plain weave, pink silk satin, embroidered blue crystals and pink feathers Courtesy Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Rodarte (American, founded 2004) Kate Mulleavy (American, born 1979) Laura Mulleavy (American, born 1980) EVENING DRESS, 2011 Light green silk chiffon, feathers, silk flowers, embroidered green and clear crystals, and pearl beads Courtesy Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Rodarte (American, founded 2004) Kate Mulleavy (American, born 1979) Laura Mulleavy (American, born 1980) EVENING DRESS, 2011 Light pink silk chiffon, brown silk crepe-chiffon embroidered, light pink feathers, and gold plated-metal Courtesy Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Rodarte (American, founded 2004) Kate Mulleavy (American, born 1979) Laura Mulleavy (American, born 1980) ENSEMBLE, 2011 Gold metallic silk satin and plain weave, white and gold feathers, embroidered gold metal paillettes, wire, beads, and gold metallic ribbon Courtesy Los Angeles County Museum of Art

The centerpiece of Rodarte’s 2011 collection is this gold metallic silk dress inspired by Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s sculpture Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (1647– 52).While the ensemble assimilates visual references from the two central figures—the feathers of the angel’s wings and the drapery of the swooning nun’s habit—its primary reference is the gilded stucco rays that illuminate the scene of religious ecstasy. Those rays are cited directly in the headdress and indirectly in the pleated gold silk lamé bodice, which shares similarities with Thierry Mugler’s and Roberto Cappucci’s designs in this gallery.

Rodarte (American, founded 2004) Kate Mulleavy (American, born 1979) Laura Mulleavy (American, born 1980) EVENING DRESS, 2011 Orange silk taffeta, orange silk-synthetic plain weave, and gold plated-metal Courtesy Los Angeles County Museum of Art

In 1435, the Dominican community in Fiesole to which Fra Angelico belonged took possession of the convent of San Marco in Florence. Three years later, Cosimo de’ Medici commissioned him to create frescoes for the cloister, the chapter house, the refectory, and the dormitory cells and corridors of the renovated convent. These frescoes were the inspiration for a capsule couture collection by Kate and Laura Mulleavy for Rodarte. While comprising only ten dresses, the collection displays a wide range of silk fabrics – lamé, tulle, satin, taffeta, chiffon, organza, and georgette. This creates a tonal variety that echoes the range of chalky hues in the frescoes, which are all the more diverse because of Angelico’s nuanced use of light and shadow.

Rodarte (American, founded 2004) Kate Mulleavy (American, born 1979) Laura Mulleavy (American, born 1980) EVENING DRESS, 2011 Pink silk crepe and chiffon, embroidered clear and pink crystals, and gold plated-metal Courtesy Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Rodarte (American, founded 2004) Kate Mulleavy (American, born 1979) Laura Mulleavy (American, born 1980) EVENING DRESS, 2011 White silk crepe and lace, white and red silk plain weave, white silk flowers, embroidered red crystals, and pearl beads Courtesy Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Rodarte (American, founded 2004) Kate Mulleavy (American, born 1979) Laura Mulleavy (American, born 1980) EVENING DRESS, 2011 White silk-synthetic plain weave, white netting, white feathers, embroidered clear and white crystals, and paillettes Courtesy Los Angeles County Museum of Art

House of Lanvin (French, founded 1889) Jeanne Lanvin (French, 1867–1946) “INCERTITUDE” EVENING DRESS, 1936 White silk chiffon, appliquéd gold leather Courtesy Victoria and Albert Museum Hair by Shay Ashual

As demonstrated by her blue dress on display in this gallery, Jeanne Lanvin was inspired not only by the general styles of dress in Fra Angelico’s paintings, but also by their colors and decorative embellishments. The appliquéd gold leather strips that cover the surface of this white chiffon dress explicitly reference the gold decoration on the white cape of the haloed saint in Angelico’s The Last Judgement (first half of the fifteenth century). This dress was created four years earlier than the blue example, a testament to the ongoing influence of these paintings on the fashions of Lanvin.

(Platform rear)

Mugler (French, founded 1974) Thierry Mugler (French, born 1948) DRESS, autumn/winter 1984–85 Silver silk lamé Courtesy Mugler

The Thierry Mugler dresses in this gallery were featured in his tenth-anniversary collection “L’Hiver des Anges” (The Winter of the Angels), which included representations of angels from all levels of the Christian angelology (hierarchy). Those on display here are from the lowest category, Ministers, specifically Archangels, which Mugler reinterprets through the lens of the golden age of Hollywood.

Roberto Capucci (Italian, born 1930) “ANGELO D’ORO” DRESS, 1987 Gold and rose gold silk lamé, ivory silk taffeta Courtesy Fondazione Roberto Capucci

Angelo d’Oro (or Angel of Gold) formed part of the 1987 collection Roberto Capucci presented at the Palazzo Venezia, a former residential papal palace. The dress asserts its celestial status through its color and its vestigial “wings.” Inherent to the gown’s construction, they are shaped out of back panels wired to stand away from the body. The angelic appearance is heightened through pleating, which also conveys a classical aesthetic and the attendant ideals. As played out in Capucci’s heavenly creation, those ideals take on sacred associations, thus aligning the classical with the religious. 30

Mugler (French, founded 1974) Thierry Mugler (French, born 1948) DRESS, autumn/winter 1984–85 Gold silk lamé Courtesy Mugler

(Encased)

Eisa (Spanish, 1927–68) Cristobal Balenciaga (Spanish, 1895–1972) EVENING DRESS, 1949 Black silk cloqué and light blue silk taffeta Courtesy Barcelona Design Museum

The Virgin Mary is a principal focus of Renaissance religious painting. As in the work by Girolamo dai Libri at the entrance of the Lehman Wing, Mary was typically depicted in a blue mantle, an artistic convention established in the fifth century with the inception of the cult of the Virgin. Blue is likewise the color cited by most designers when evoking the Virgin, as can be seen in this dress by Cristobal Balenciaga with a “Madonna” veil in blue silk taffeta that evokes the sweeping sculptural folds of Renaissance painting. Although initially selected for its evocation of royalty (in the Byzantine Empire, blue was the color associated with empresses), the hue came to signify Mary’s virtue and humility, and as the color of the sky, it also served as a reminder of her status as Queen of Heaven.

Eisa (Spanish, 1927–68) Cristobal Balenciaga (Spanish, 1895–1972) EVENING DRESS, 1951 Black silk marocain crepe and yellow silk faille Courtesy Barcelona Design Museum

Like the painted draperies of the Italian Renaissance, Cristobal Balenciaga’s expressive and formidable folds of silk have the look of being held in place by the force of artistic convention. This dress recalls the golden yellow (or orange) mantle often associated with Saint Peter, as in Raphael’s magnificent Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints (ca. 1504), at the entrance of the Lehman wing. Christ bestowed the “keys of heaven” upon Saint Peter, the first pope, granting him and his successors supreme jurisdiction over the Church. He is often depicted in art holding the keys, as in the glorious gold-ground panel by a follower of the Sienese master Lippo Memmi on view in Gallery 952.

Anna Wintour Costume Center THE VATICAN COLLECTION

Just as fashion can serve as a mirror to our times, liturgical vestments reflect historical developments within the Roman Catholic Church, both aesthetically and philosophically. For the most part, the garments on display in this gallery belong to the Baroque tradition, in which splendor is seen as a symbolic assertion of divine transcendence. Their opulent materials and ornate, intricate embroideries—which find corollaries in the petites mains (“little hands”) workshops in service to the haute couture—communicate the detachment of sacred worship from everyday life.

The link between belief and beauty occupies a sometimes contested but always central role within Christian liturgy, especially in Catholicism and Orthodoxy. The influential theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar wrote his magnum opus based on the belief that we first perceive the mystery of God through beauty, not truth. Pope John Paul II spoke of the infinite ocean of beauty where astonishment transforms into admiration and ultimately exultation. In his 2002 address “The Feeling of Things, the Contemplation of Beauty,” the future Pope Benedict XVI wrote, “Being struck and overcome by the beauty of Christ is a more real, more profound knowledge than mere rational deduction.”

French artist Henri Matisse understood this connection of beauty to belief, as evinced by the astonishing chasuble displayed at the gallery entrance. So, too, do the designers featured in the medieval art galleries at The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters, many of whom have been inspired by liturgical vestments such as those on view here. Their creations, like these vestments, not only reveal the role of beauty in visualizing the holy, but also serve as tangible expressions of the “Catholic imagination.”

All objects collection of the Office of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, Vatican City State

Photography is prohibited in the Anna Wintour Costume Center.

Music by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (Italian, ca. 1525–1594). “Tu es Petrus, Motet,” 1572. Performed by Choir of Westminster Abbey and Simon Preston. Courtesy Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Hamburg, under license from Universal Music Enterprises

(Stairwell)

Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954) CHASUBLE, ca. 1950 Ivory silk faille with appliqué of yellow and green silk satin, green silk shantung, and black silk velvet Courtesy The Museum of Modern Art, New York; acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest (by exchange), 1953

In the 1950s, when Matisse was commissioned to design the interior for the Chapel du Rosaire in Vence, France, he also created six chasubles. Their bold appliqués emulate the forms of his signature paper cutouts, and their colorways correspond to the liturgical calendar. Matisse created the maquette for each piece, and the nuns at the Atelier d’Arts Appliqués in Cannes undertook the sewing. This example was the first to be completed. When the chapel’s priest declared it too heavy for regular use, Alfred H. Barr Jr., the first director of the Museum of Modern Art, acquired it in exchange for a lighter replacement vestment.

Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Gallery

ZIMARRA, FASCIA, ZUCCHETTO, AND SHOES OF SAINT JOHN PAUL II (reigned 1978–2005) Italian, ca. 2000–2005 White wool twill and silk moiré embroidered with polychrome silk; red leather and suede

Color serves to mark the liturgical calendar and to indicate hierarchy within the Catholic Church. White, a color synonymous with purity and divine revelation, is reserved for specific rites (including Christmas and Easter) and for the everyday dress of the pope. This ensemble, worn by Saint John Paul II, includes the zimarra (a caped version of the long soutane or cassock worn by all levels of the prelate), fascia (belt), and zucchetto (a skullcap of eight segments that terminate with a loop of cord). The fascia bears his papal coat of arms, featuring a tiara and the keys of heaven, as well as a blue shield decorated with a cross and the letter M for the Virgin Mary. Just as the soutane is worn beneath ceremonial dress, the zucchetto is worn beneath papal headwear.

The color red has been reserved for papal footwear for centuries. Saint John Paul II wore this pair, produced by the Italian shoemaker Loredano Apollini, during the last years of his pontificate. Their color signifies the blood of Christ’s Passion and of Catholic martyrs, as well as the fire of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which marks the birth of the church.

THE KEYS OF SAINT PETER (KEYS OF HEAVEN), GIVEN TO LEO XIII (reigned 1878–1903) Italian, 1903 Silver and gilt silver

In the rite of papal coronation, the new pope is presented with a pair of keys: the gold one signifies his power to open the doors of heaven, and the silver one his power to open the doors of the earth. The symbolism traces back to Saint Peter, the first pope, upon whom Christ bestowed the keys of heaven. Made by the silversmith G. Landi, these keys were a gift from the diocese of Ferrara on the twenty-fifth anniversary of Leo XIII’s consecration as pope.

MANTLE OF BENEDICT XIV (reigned 1740–58), THEN PIUS VII (reigned 1800–1823) Italian, 1741 White silk taffeta embroidered with gold metal thread, gold tinsel, and gold paillettes

The mantle is one of a suite of ceremonial vestments that symbolize the pope’s earthly stature and spiritual authority. The garment has a white ground when called for by a particular liturgical rite (otherwise, the ground is red.) It has a sweeping train designed to cover the legs of the throne (or sedia gestatoria) on which the pope sits and a shield embroidered on the back that evolved to replace the hooded construction of earlier versions. This example was made for Benedict XIV by Francesco Banchiere and Company and embroidered by Giovanni Battista Lanini. The papal coat of arms of Pius VII was applied to the front in the early nineteenth century.

MANTLE OF BENEDICT XV (reigned 1914–22) Italian, ca. 1920 White silk gros de Tours embroidered with gold metal thread, gold tinsel, and gold paillettes

The shield of this vestment features the Dove of the Holy Spirit with a radiating halo. Pius XII is depicted wearing a similar mantle in a sculpture by Francesco Messina created in 1964 for Saint Peter’s Basilica. The mantle was a gift from the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the occasion of the canonization of the seventeenth-century nun Margherita Maria Alacoque as a saint, on May 13, 1920.

MANTLE OF PIUS VII (reigned 1800–1823) Italian, ca. 1800 White silk taffeta embroidered with gold metal thread, gold tinsel, and gold paillettes

Made by Ippolito Ricci and embroidered by Benedetto Salandri, this mantle was used for the procession of Corpus Christi (Body of Christ), celebrating the presence of Christ’s body and blood in the Eucharist. The shield contains Neoclassical floral motifs, a reflection of the tastes of the period.

(Glass wall, North side of gallery)

CHASUBLE OF PIUS XI (reigned 1922–39) French, 1926 Gold silk brocade embroidered with gold metal and polychrome silk thread

This garment was made by the Poor Clare Sisters of the Monastery of Saint Clare of the Sacred Heart, in Mazamet, France, and presented to the pope by the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor on the seven hundredth anniversary of Saint Francis of Assisi’s death. The front neckline depicts 34

Mary, Mother of God, welcomed into heaven by angels and saints; just below is an image of Pius IX proclaiming the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Both sides of the chasuble are subdivided into panels that show episodes from the life of Saint Francis and scenes of Franciscan friars conducting missionary work around the world. Its edges are embroidered with small portraits of Franciscan saints and martyrs.

PONTIFICAL STOLE OF BENEDICT XV (reigned 1914–22) Italian, ca.1920 White silk gros de Tours embroidered with gold metal thread

This stole was a gift from the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the occasion of the canonization of Saint Margherita Maria Alacoque on May 13, 1920. It was worn with the mantle encased opposite.

CHASUBLE OF PIUS VII (reigned 1800–1823) Italian, ca. 1800 White silk gros de Tours embroidered with gold and silver metal thread, gold tinsel, and gold paillettes

Made by Ippolito Ricci and embroidered by Benedetto Salandri, this chasuble shares aesthetic affinities with the mantle of Pius VII in the opposite case, which suggests that the two vestments are contemporaneous, if not part of the same suite.

DALMATIC OF PIUS IX (reigned 1846–78) Italian, 1854–56 White silk gros de Tours embroidered with gold and silver metal thread, gold tinsel, gold studs, and gold paillettes

The front and back of this dalmatic feature an identical embroidered pattern: ears of wheat and bunches of grapes that symbolize the body and blood of Christ and the bread and wine taken during the service of Holy Communion, a symbolic commemoration of the Last Supper.

(Glass wall, South side of gallery)

DALMATIC OF PIUS IX (reigned 1846–78) Italian, 1845–61 White silk gros de Tours embroidered with polychrome silk, gold and silver metal thread, and gold paillettes

Students at Verona’s Istituto Femminile di Don Nicola Mazza, who made this and the related pieces on view here, were taught to embroider extremely intricate compositions, such as the Flagellation (front) and Crowning with Thorns (back) on this tunic. The meticulous rendering of faces and costumes was a specialty of the school. The completion of the full suite of twelve vestments required the collective effort and skill of fifteen women over the course of almost sixteen years.

DALMATIC OF PIUS IX (reigned 1846–78) Italian, 1845–61 White silk gros de Tours embroidered with polychrome silk, gold and silver metal thread, and gold paillettes

To create the cartoons for the suite of vestments to which this dalmatic belongs, the makers drew on copies of well-known religious paintings by Italian artists, including Raphael and Paolo Veronese. The full set narrates the trajectory of human existence in Catholic ideology, from the Fall in the Garden of Eden through the Passion of Jesus Christ. The front and back of this garment feature scenes from the Ascent to Calvary and the Agony in Gethsemane, respectively.

CHASUBLE OF PIUS IX (reigned 1846–78) Italian, 1845–61 White silk gros de Tours embroidered with polychrome silk, gold and silver metal thread, and gold paillettes

This chasuble belongs to a suite of twelve vestments given to Pius IX in 1862, including a cope and two dalmatics on view in this gallery. Commissioned by Empress Maria Anna Carolina of Austria, the set was made at the Istituto Femminile di Don Nicola Mazza, founded in Verona in 1828 as a refuge and training facility meant to cultivate the virtue of young girls. The institute was divided into three ateliers, each with a different specialty: sericulture (silk production), spinning, and dyeing; embroidery; and the making of artificial flowers. The front of this chasuble features the Killing of Abel, and the back illustrates the Sacrifice of Isaac.

(Glass tables)

COPE OF PIUS IX (reigned 1846–78) Italian, 1845–61 White silk gros de Tours embroidered with polychrome silk, gold and silver metal thread, and gold paillettes

This cope is the largest and most elaborate vestment from the suite of twelve produced at the Istituto Femminile di Don Nicola Mazza in Verona; a chasuble and two dalmatics from the set are also on view in this gallery. The cope includes several scenes based on biblical narratives: the shield at center features the Nativity; the lower border has three cartouches showing (from left to right) David Pouring Water on the Ground, the Expulsion from Eden, and the Marriage of the Virgin; the upper border are cartouches with the four major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel).

COPE OF BENEDICT XV (reigned 1914–22) Italian, 1918 White silk gros de Tours embroidered with gold metal thread, gold tinsel, and gold paillettes

A gift to Benedict XV from the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the occasion of his feast day, this garment has a shield depicting the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) atop the book of seven seals and text at center that reads: “Ecce Agnus Dei” (Behold the Lamb of God). Quatrefoils feature the four evangelists in the form of animals: John as an eagle, Matthew as an 36

angel, Mark as a winged lion, and Luke as a winged bull. This vestment was later worn by Benedict XVI on several occasions, including the Memorial of the Witnesses to the Faith of the 20th Century on April 7, 2008.

Carl and Iris Barrel Apfel Gallery

(Center cases)

MITRE OF PAUL VI (reigned 1963–78), Italian, 1954 Cloth of gold embroidered with polychrome silk and gold metal thread, pearls and precious gems

This mitre was first worn by Paul VI, during the Divine Eastern Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom on November 13, 1964. It was on this occasion—amid a period of reforms organized by the Second Vatican Council, popularly known as Vatican II—that he abolished use of the papal tiara. The mitre thus became the headwear worn for coronation activities. This version was altered accordingly, in 1978, when the papal coat of arms of John Paul I was applied to the fanons (the tabs extending downward). The mitre was modified again in 2007, when it was fitted for Benedict XVI.

MITRE OF LEO XIII (reigned 1878–1903) German, 1887 Cloth of silver embroidered with gold metal thread, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and semiprecious stones

STOLE OF LEO XIII (reigned 1878–1903) Italian, ca. late 19th century White silk gros des Tours embroidered with polychrome silk, gold, and silver metal thread

PAPAL GAUNTLETS Probably Italian, 20th century White silk knit embroidered with gold thread

LITURGICAL SLIPPERS OF PIUS VII (reigned 1800–1823) French, early 19th century White silk-satin embroidered with gold silk and metal thread, and precious stones

This selection from different papacies illustrates the essential accessories worn during liturgical celebrations. The mitre is the most formal version of pontifical headwear in active use today. The example here was a gift from Wilhlem II, emperor of Germany and king of Prussia, on the fiftieth anniversary of Leo XIII’s ordination as a priest (which coincided with the year of Wilhelm’s coronation). The stole features Leo XIII’s crest (only the pope may ornament a liturgical stole with his coat of arms), along with the Lamb of God standing atop the book of seven seals. The Christogram “IHS,” an abbreviation of the Greek spelling of Jesus, appears frequently on liturgical gloves (or papal gauntlets). As with gloves, papal slippers are produced in the traditional colors of red, green, and white to match the vestments. Historically, a cross motif 37

could decorate the footwear of only the Pope, and the devout would kiss his feet directly on the cross.

MITRE OF PIUS XI (reigned 1922–39) Italian, 1929 White silk satin and gold brocade embroidered with gold and silver metal thread, silver, and amethysts

This mitre was a gift from Italian prime minister Benito Mussolini to commemorate the signing of the Lateran Treaty on February 11, 1929 (which recognized Vatican City as an independent state), it features a silver crucifix on the front and a silver image of the Virgin and Child on the back, with the symbols of two evangelists on each side. As decreed by law, only popes, cardinals, and bishops wear the mitre, although special permissions or papal privileges may be granted to other members of the ecclesiastical hierarchy.

TIARA OF PIUS IX (reigned 1846–78) Italian, 1877 Cloth of silver embroidered with gold metal thread, gold, blue enamel, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and semiprecious stones

A ceremonial headdress that has existed in various forms since the eighth century, the papal tiara is a crown that was worn on the most solemn of occasions, including the papal coronation, until 1964. The three examples on view in this gallery are all of the triregnum variety, with one tier for each of the pope’s powers and responsibilities: father of kings, governor of the world, and Vicar of Christ. This tiara was a gift from the Vatican Palatine Honor Guard on the fiftieth anniversary of Pius IX’s consecration as an archbishop. It was later worn by Benedict XV, Pius XII, and Saint John XXIII (for his 1958 coronation).

TIARA OF PIUS IX (reigned 1846–78) German and Spanish, 1854 Cloth of silver embroidered with gold metal thread, gold, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and pearls

This tiara was a gift from Queen Isabella II of Spain to Pius IX as a sign of her respect for the Holy Father and devotion to the Holy See (or, according to a more recent interpretation, as reparation for the Spanish government’s anticlerical laws). Weighing almost three pounds, the magnificent tiara includes about nineteen thousand precious stones, the majority of which are estimated to be diamonds. Made in Germany by the jewelers C. Goettig and W. Deibel, it was fitted in Madrid by Carlo Pizzala, jeweler of the royal house of Bourbon. Pius IX first wore it for Christmas Day Mass at Saint Peter’s Basilica in 1854.

TIARA OF PIUS IX (reigned 1846–78) Belgian, 1871 Silver silk lamé embroidered with gold metal and red silk thread, gold, gilt silver, blue and red enamel, diamonds, emeralds, pearls, and semiprecious stones

This neo-Gothic tiara was a gift from the women of the royal court of Belgium on the twenty- fifth anniversary of Pius IX’s consecration as pope. A. Bourdon made the headpiece after a design by the Belgian architect Jean Baptiste Bethune.

CHALICE OF LEO XIII (reigned 1878–1903) French, 1887 Gold, blue enamel, diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and semiprecious stones

The Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary of Madrid gave this chalice to Leo XIII on the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination as a priest. The upper part features a tempietto, or small chapel, with gold statuettes of the four evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The chalice was used more recently by Pope Benedict XVI, including in the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, 46th World Day of Peace, held at Saint Peter’s Basilica on January 1, 2013.

CROSIER OF PIUS IX (reigned 1846–78) German, 1877 Gilt silver, silver, polychrome enamel, and semiprecious stones

A gift from the diocese of Regensburg, this neo-Gothic crosier contains multiple references to the German city. The sailboat (which carries a silver figure of Saint Peter holding the keys of heaven) bears the coats of arms of both Pius IX and Regensburg. At the base of the volute are enameled roundels featuring bishops and saints associated with the city, including Saints Erhard, Emmeram, Wolfgang, and Dionysius.

MONSTRANCE OF LEO XIII (reigned 1878–1903) Italian, 1887 Gilt silver, gilt bronze, blue enamel, diamonds, rubies, and emeralds

This neo-Gothic monstrance was a gift from the diocese of Bologna on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Leo XIII’s ordination as a priest. In the central part, the windows of an octagonal Gothic building house bronze statuettes of four saints: Dominic, Francis of Assisi, Florian Martyr, and Petronius, bishop of Bologna. The vessel was designed by Edoardo Collamarini and made by the goldsmith Alessandro Zanetti.

(Left wall case)

CLASP OF LEO XIII (reigned 1878–1903) Italian, 1888 Gilt silver, gold, pearls, and diamonds

A gift from the Order of the Hermits of Saint Augustine on the fiftieth anniversary of Leo XIII’s ordination as a priest, this Renaissance-style clasp features three pinecones adorned with five series of pearls arranged to form a triangle. At the center, “LEO XIII P.M.” is written in diamonds. Saint John XXIII and Benedict XVI later wore the clasp.

CLASP OF PIUS IX (reigned 1846–78) Italian, 1871 39

Gilt silver, turquoise enamel, diamonds, emeralds, and semiprecious stones

At the center of this clasp is a turquoise enamel globe encrusted with diamond stars and surrounded by a group of figures: God the Father above; three cherubs below; and, to the sides, two angels holding scrolls that read “Sine labe originale” (Without original sin) and “Non deficiat Fides” (Faith be not lacking). The clasp was a gift from the Prima Primaria Congregation on the twenty-fifth anniversary of Pius IX’s consecration as pope.

CLASP OF LEO XIII (reigned 1878–1903) Spanish, 1887 Gold, diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds

Made by the goldsmith Francisco Marzo, this clasp (worn with a cape or mantle) was a gift from Maria Cristina, queen regent of Spain, to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Leo XIII’s ordination as a priest. The pope’s name is rendered in sapphires at the center of the dazzling clasp, which includes about seven hundred diamonds.

CLASP OF BENEDICT XIII (reigned 1724–30) Italian, 1729 Gold, gilt silver, blue enamel, emeralds, rubies, and semiprecious stones

This clasp features an image of the Dove of the Holy Spirit at the center and engravings that reflect autobiographical details of Benedict XIII. On one side is the coat of arms of his family, the Orsini; on the other is an image of Saint Dominic and the coat of arms of the Order of Preachers, a reference to Benedict XIII’s training as a Dominican priest.

CLASP OF LEO XIII (reigned 1878–1903) Italian, 1888 Gold, gilt silver, blue enamel, emeralds, rubies, and diamonds

This clasp, made by the silversmith Eugenio Bellosio, was a gift from the city of Milan on the fiftieth anniversary of Leo XIII’s ordination as a priest. The blue enamel ovoid at center bears his papal coat of arms rendered in emeralds and diamonds. To the left and right are portraits of the martyred soldiers Saint Fidelis and Saint Carpophorus of Como. The piece was later worn by Benedict XVI on several holy days, including Palm Sunday.

(Right wall case)

PECTORAL CROSS OF PAUL VI (reigned 1963–1978) Italian, 1977 Gold, emeralds, sapphires, and pearls, with relic of Saint Rafaela Maria Porras

This Carolingian-style pectoral cross was a gift from the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to commemorate the canonization of its founder, Saint Rafaela Maria Porras. Made by the goldsmith Manlio Del Vecchio, it was inspired by the early ninth century Cross of Desiderio (Santa Giulia Museum, Brescia, Italy).

PECTORAL CROSS OF JOHN PAUL II (reigned 1978–2005) Italian, 2000 Gilt silver and sapphires with relic

This cross was a gift to John Paul II from Father Livio Poloniato of the Vatican Secretariat of State. The pope first wore it on January 1, 2001, to celebrate the Solemnity of Holy Mary, Mother of God, a feast day on the eighth day of Christmastide. More recently, Benedict XVI wore it to celebrate the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle, in January 2007.

PECTORAL CROSS OF JOHN PAUL II (reigned 1978–2005) Italian, 1999 Gilt silver and aquamarine with relic of Pope Leo I (440–61)

This cross and the adjacent piece from John Paul II’s papacy were both produced by the goldsmith Antonio Intorcia. Here, each arm contains a symbol of one of the four evangelists within the finely worked filigree, while the back of the form holds a reliquary bone from Pope Leo the Great (440–61). Originally a gift to celebrate the Grand Jubilee of 2000 and the opening of the Porta Santa (Holy Door), it was later worn by Pope Benedict XVI on April 9, 2006, to celebrate Palm Sunday.

RING OF PIUS IX (reigned 1846–78) British, 1871 Gold, aquamarine, and garnets

This type of ring, worn by bishops as well as by popes, has a larger band size, to fit over a liturgical glove. This example was a gift from Britain’s Queen Victoria on the twenty-fifth anniversary of Pius IX’s consecration as pope. It bears his coat of arms as well as inscriptions that translate to “Forty years after Peter” and “In this sign you will conquer.” After passing through various owners, the ring was presented to John Paul II.

RING OF PIUS VI (reigned 1775–99) Italian, 1775 White gold, diamonds, and blue glass

Commissioned by Princess Marie Adélaïde Clotilde of Bourbon, this ring was a gift to Pius VI on the occasion of the jubilee of 1775, a year of remission of sins and universal pardon. It carries his image in diamonds, and the stem bears the inscription “Lumen Ecclesiae” (Light of the Church), also in diamonds. The ring was passed down from Pius VI to Pius VII, both of whom endured exile in France under Napoléon Bonaparte. It resurfaced in 1925 and was presented to Pius XI by the Association of the Catholic Daughters of America on the occasion of the jubilee of 1925. The ring was later worn by John XXIII.

RING OF PIUS XII (reigned 1939–58) Probably Italian, ca. 1928–39 Gold, amethysts, and diamonds

Donato Cardinal Sbarretti, bishop of Sabina, bequeathed this ring to Pius XII in 1939. 41

PECTORAL CROSS OF PIUS XII (reigned 1939–58) Probably Italian, ca. 1928–39 Gold and amethysts

Donato Cardinal Sbarretti, bishop of Sabina, bequeathed this pectoral cross to Pius XII in 1939.

PECTORAL CROSS OF LEO XIII (reigned 1878– 1903) Italian, late 19th century Gold and aquamarine glass paste

Made by the goldsmith Agostino Bori, this cross originally belonged to Leo XIII, who gifted it to Monsignor Giuseppe Sarto, bishop of Mantua. When Sarto was elected pope in 1903, taking the name Pius X, he wore it for various pontifical ceremonies before passing it on to his sister Maria Sarto. When she died, her nephew gave it to the reigning pontiff, Pope Pius XI, in her memory. It was later worn by John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

PECTORAL CROSS OF PIUS XI (reigned 1922–39) Italian, 1929 Gold and pearls

A gift from Victor Emmanuel III, king of Italy, this pectoral cross commemorated the signing of the Lateran Treaty, which recognized Vatican City as an independent state, on February 11, 1929. It was later worn by Pius XI’s immediate successor, Pius XII.

THE MET CLOISTERS

Romanesque Hall

THE DRESSED MADONNA II The emphatic silhouette and extravagant decoration of this dress by Viktor & Rolf recall the popular Marian devotion of dressing sculptures of the Madonna and Child. The practice dates to the early Middle Ages and took root in the later part of the period, when the cult of the Virgin Mary was rapidly developing in western Europe. Wood statues like the two adjacent Romanesque masterworks exemplifying the Throne of Wisdom type, with the Virgin holding the Child in her lap, were at times carried in processions and adorned with costumes and votive offerings.

Viktor & Rolf ’s dress, with strings of crystal rosaries wrapped around the wrists, directly references this practice. It was featured in their “Russian Doll” collection, which was staged as a

performance during which the designers dressed the model Maggie Rizer in successive layers of clothing, transforming her into a matryoshka (nesting) doll in reverse. After the performance, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren equated the care and devotion they lavished upon Rizer as a form of icon worship.

Music by Franz Schubert (German, 1797–1828). “Ave Maria,” 1825. Performed by Barbara Bonney (American, born 1956). © Warner Classics & Jazz, Warner Music UK Ltd.

Viktor & Rolf (Dutch, founded 1993) Viktor Horsting (Dutch, born 1969) Rolf Snoeren (Dutch, born 1969) ENSEMBLE, 2018; original design: autumn/winter 1999–2000 haute couture Gray jute plain weave, embroidered clear and iridescent crystals Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2018 (2018.146a-d) Hair by Shay Ashual

Fuentiduena Chapel

HOLY SACRAMENTS I

The Fuentidueña Chapel features characteristics typical of Romanesque architecture, such as thick walls, small windows, and rounded arches. It also includes liturgical furniture universal to medieval churches. These furnishings and the sacraments associated with them provide the context for the fashions displayed here. A capital adapted as a font for holy water is adjacent to garments inspired by baptism—the sacrament of rebirth expressed by washing or marking with water—including designs by Azzedine Alaïa and A.F.Vandevorst.

The apse, decorated with a fresco depicting the Virgin and Child in Majesty, provides the framework for the two wedding dresses. The form of the example by Cristobal Balenciaga recalls the inflated, cone-like gowns worn by figures of the Virgin carried in church processions, such as the two medieval statues in the Romanesque Hall. The garment by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel is derived from a style of dress worn by girls in France for their First Holy Communion.

Music by Franz Schubert (German, 1797–1828). “Ave Maria,” 1825. Performed by Barbara Bonney (American, born 1956). © Warner Classics & Jazz, Warner Music UK Ltd.

A.F.Vandevorst (Belgian, founded 1997) An Vandevorst (Belgian) Filip Arickx (Belgian) DRESS, autumn/winter 1998–99 White cotton poplin Courtesy A.F.Vandevorst Hair by Shay Ashual

This dress, from A.F.Vandevorst’s collection “RELIGION,” was inspired by traditional baptismal gowns. Like the adjacent dress by Azzedine Alaïa, it is constructed from white cotton poplin. It also includes an internal corset, a fetishistic detail typical of the designers’ work

Azzedine Alaïa (French, born Tunisia, 1935–2017) DRESS, 1992–95 White cotton poplin, white silk mousseline Purchase, The Dorothy Strelsin Foundation Inc. Gift, 2014 (2014.453) Hair by Shay Ashual

The font is central to the sacrament of baptism. Many Christians also make the sign of the cross with holy water from a font upon entering a church, a ritual that is inscribed, metaphorically, onto Azzedine Alaïa’s simple white cotton poplin dress. The sheerness of the inset crosses, rendered in white silk mousseline, mirrors the invisible tracing of the shape of a cross over the body.

House of Chanel (French, founded 1913) Karl Lagerfeld (French, born Germany, 1938) WEDDING DRESS, autumn/winter 1990–91 haute couture Ivory silk satin and crepe de chine Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection Hair by Shay Ashual

This wedding dress was the finale of Karl Lagerfeld’s autumn/winter 1990–91 haute couture collection for Chanel. Its design is based on a style worn by girls in France on the occasion of their First Holy Communion, one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church at which a person first receives the Eucharist, a rite instituted by Jesus Christ during the Last Supper.

House of Balenciaga (French, founded 1937) Cristobal Balenciaga (Spanish, 1895–1972) WEDDING DRESS, spring 1967 Ivory silk gazar and organza Courtesy Balenciaga Archives, Paris

Fashion history has designated this garment by Cristobal Balenciaga the “one- seam wedding dress.” If the dress was indeed made from a single length of fabric, it would claim a biblical source: Jesus’ seamless robe at the Crucifixion (John 19:23). The dress, however, is made of two pieces of fabric stitched together and it has three shaping seams—two at the shoulder and one down the center of the back.

Saint-Guilhem Cloister

ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE The Met Cloisters evokes a sense of medieval monastic life through its architecture. The Romanesque style prevails in the Saint-Guilhem Cloister, which was part of a Benedictine monastery in the village of Saint-Guilhem-le-Desért, located in a region of France with abundant ruins of Roman monuments. The two ensembles featured here echo these classical influences. Designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, they formed part of Valentino’s autumn/winter 2015–16 haute couture collection, which was an homage to Rome, where the house was founded. The arches of the Colosseum served as the reference for the ensemble composed of a dress and cape. They appear as black silk velvet pieced into double-faced cashmere, creating a tour de force of the techniques of haute couture. In its arched splendor, the cape establishes a formal connection with the rounded arches of the Saint-Guilhem Cloister. The other ensemble was inspired by the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, an oil painting on wood depicting the Madonna in a black cape adorned with stars. It establishes a more conceptual relationship with the space through its color: the Benedictine monks who originally occupied the monastery and who became known as the “Black Monks” because of their black habits.

Music by Franz Schubert (German, 1797–1828). “Ave Maria,” 1825. Performed by Barbara Bonney (American, born 1956). © Warner Classics & Jazz, Warner Music UK Ltd.

Valentino S.p.A. (Italian, founded 1959) Maria Grazia Chiuri (Italian, born 1964) Pierpaolo Piccioli (Italian, born 1967) EVENING ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2015–16 haute couture Black wool, black silk velvet and satin, nylon tulle, and appliquéd wool gabardine Courtesy Valentino S.p.A.

Valentino S.p.A. (Italian, founded 1959) Maria Grazia Chiuri (Italian, born 1964) Pierpaolo Piccioli (Italian, born 1967) EVENING ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2015–16 haute couture Black silk and brocaded gold metal thread Courtesy Valentino S.p.A.

Langon Chapel

HOLY SACRAMENTS II The plan of the Langon Chapel, like that of the nearby Fuentidueña Chapel, consists of a simple, single-aisle nave and a semicircular apse. As in all medieval churches, the altar is the focal point. Unquestionably the most important piece of liturgical furnishing within a church, the altar is where Mass is celebrated, including the Mass for the sacrament of Matrimony—a rite that is recognized in the wedding dress on view here. The finale to Marc Bohan’s debut collection as head designer of the House of Dior, it is titled Hyménée after Hymen, the Hellenistic god of marriage. However, the holy sacrament of marriage is just one of many religious associations evoked by its design. The ascetic minimalism of the ensemble, with a single camellia as its sole decoration, and the veil with its wimple-like front bib prompt comparisons to a monk’s or nun’s habit. In both the runway presentation and a later magazine editorial photographed by Guy Bourdin, the model posed with a rosary in her hands.

Music by Franz Schubert (German, 1797–1828). “Ave Maria,” 1825. Performed by Barbara Bonney (American, born 1956). © Warner Classics & Jazz, Warner Music UK Ltd.

House of Dior (French, founded 1947) Marc Bohan (French, born 1926) “HYMÉNÉE” WEDDING DRESS, 2018; original design: spring/summer 1961 haute couture White silk organza, white silk chiffon Courtesy Dior Heritage Collection, Paris

Pontaut Chapter House

RELIGIOUS ORDERS The nucleus of daily monastic life, the cloister is usually located at the heart of a monastery or convent, next to the church. The location of the Cuxa Cloister adjacent to the Pontaut Chapter House here is typical of a medieval monastic plan. In the chapter house, monks or nuns sat on the stone benches around the perimeter every day as business was discussed and a chapter of the Rule of Saint Benedict, the official code of monastic behavior, was read. The fashions featured in these two spaces are by designers who are known for their monastic silhouettes and minimalist sensibilities, including Geoffrey Beene, Madame Grès, Claire McCardell, Rick Owens, Pierpaolo Piccioli, and Valentina. These designers largely keep to the simplicity and modesty of monastic clothing in their fashions, confining themselves to a monochromatic palette—principally black, white, and a spectrum of browns. Deceptively simple, their pared-down, body-obscuring fashions claim further alliances to monastic dress through the layering of flowing columns of fabric.

Townley Frocks (American, founded 1929) Claire McCardell (American, 1905–1958) “MONASTIC” DRESS, 1949 Black wool jersey Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Elizabeth Wadhams, 1965 (2009.300.7435)

“Monastic” was a term that Claire McCardell applied to “any dress without a waistline, to be belted or sashed as you like it.” McCardell designed the original version in 1938, but the style remained part of her repertoire for the duration of her career. Due to its versatility, the “monastic” was produced in a variety of colors including black and brown, as well as in a range of lengths and styles for day or evening, including both formal and informal occasions.

Geoffrey Beene (American, 1927–2004) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 1993–94 Black wool crepe Gift of Geoffrey Beene, 2001 (2001.393.119a,b)

The tradition of American sportswear, with its emphasis on minimalism and functionalism, lends itself to a monastic sensibility, as seen in this ensemble by Geoffrey Beene. Directly inspired by monastic clothing, the black tunic-like coat with its detachable cowl-like hood evokes the habits of Augustinian monks.

Valentina (American, born Russia, 1899–1989) EVENING DRESS, 1935–40 Black silk crepe Gift of Igor Kamlukin, 1995 (1995.245.11)

Valentina’s monastic influences are both general and specific, as can be seen in this dress. While its modest silhouette and monochromatic color are typical of the habits of most religious orders, its central panel references the scapular of the Benedictine monks who once walked the passageways of the Cuxa Cloister and sat on the stone benches of the Pontaut Chapter House.

Madame Grès (Alix Barton) (French, 1903–1993) EVENING DRESS, 1960–79 Black silk paper taffeta Gift of Alain de Gunzburg, in memory of Minda de Gunzburg, 1985 (1985.272.8)

Madame Grès (Alix Barton) (French, 1903–1993) EVENING DRESS, 1969 Light brown silk paper taffeta Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr., 1988 (2009.300.1373)

In terms of their technical precision and material integrity, the designs of Madame Grès reveal a religious-like fervor for perfection. The emphasis on the classical influences of her fashions has tended to eclipse their clear debt to monastic dress, apparent in these dresses. The garments’ wide sleeves recall the white choir robe, or cuccula, most commonly associated with the Cistercians (which led to their moniker, “White Monks”).

Madame Grès (Alix Barton) (French, 1903–1993) EVENING DRESS, ca. 1975 Beige and brown angora-wool jersey Gift of Chessy Rayner, 1997 (1997.116.11a, b)

Many of the forms of monastic clothing have their origins in antiquity, a source that is alluded to in Madame Gres’s dress. Its soft pleats sewn to an inset panel at the waist, a detail that recalls the patches of Saint Francis’ habit as depicted in the religious paintings of seventeenth–century artist Francisco de Zurbarán. Executed in angora wool, a luxe version of the original course woolen sackcloth of Franciscan habits, it has a belt that resembles a prim version of the white rope or “cintura bianca” worn by Franciscan monks and nuns, which includes one to five knots representative of their vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, penance, and detachment.

Townley Frocks (American, founded 1929) Claire McCardell (American, 1905–1958) WEDDING ENSEMBLE, 1941 Ivory wool and rabbit’s hair jersey Gift of Claire McCardell, 1949 (C.I.49.37.8a, b)

While this wedding ensemble, evocative of a Cistercian habit, is not strictly “monastic” by McCardell’s definition, it shares with her iconic design (also on display in this case) an aesthetic of austerity and simplicity. American Vogue first described it as a “cloistered dress,” and the type 49

of timeless design that one could wear in perpetuity. The home-sewing company Folkwear, later reproduced patterns of the ensemble, adopting the official name “Cloister Dress,” and advertising it as “a romantic but practical wedding gown for a young wartime bride.”

Madame Grès (Alix Barton) (French, 1903–1993) ENSEMBLE, ca. 1970 Dress of cream wool jersey; vest and hood of brown angora jersey Gift of Mala Rubinstein, 1992 (1992.170a-d)

Madame Grès’ monastic sensibilities are clearly expressed in this ensemble, comprising a cream tunic-style dress with a small, separate brown hood that recalls the Franciscan cowl or “capuce”. The term is borrowed from the Italian “cappuccio,” after which the Capuchins – a branch of Franciscan monks that were officially recognized by Clemente VII in 1528 – took their name. Recognizable for its pointed form, the cappuccio of the Capuchins served as a method of distinction until John XXIII ordered that it conform to the more rounded shape typical of other religious orders.

Cuxa Cloister

Valentino S.p.A (Italian, founded 1959) Pierpaolo Piccioli (Italian, born 1967) EVENING DRESS, autumn/winter 2017–18 haute couture Brown silk velvet Courtesy Valentino S.p.A (REL. 1211a-d)

This dress, like the other two ensembles from the same collection on view here, was inspired by the habits of monks depicted in the religious paintings of Spanish Baroque artist Francisco de Zurbarán. This example specifically references the brown habits of Francisican monks, substituting the original course woolen sackcloth with luxurious silk velvet.

Rick Owens (American, born 1961) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2015–16 Light brown wool melton, cotton jersey, and nylon canvas Courtesy Rick Owens Hair by Shay Ashual

With a “pee(p)” hole at the crotch, Rick Owens’s playful, subversive “habit” evokes the popular literary stereotype of the lecherous, debauched, and scandalous medieval monk, satirized by Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales (1387–1400). 50

Valentino S.p.A. (Italian, founded 1959) Pierpaolo Piccioli (Italian, born 1967) EVENING ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2017–18 haute couture Ivory wool-silk satin and black cashmere Courtesy Valentino S.p.A.

This ensemble, like the other two garments from the same collection on view here, was inspired by the habits of monks depicted in the religious paintings of Spanish Baroque artist Francisco de Zurbarán. Its specific point of reference is the white tunic and black cape, or cappa, of Dominican monks.

Rick Owens (American, born 1961) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2015–16 Black wool melton, cotton plain weave, cotton heavy jersey, nylon plain weave and suede Courtesy Rick Owens Hair by Shay Ashual

Valentino S.p.A. (Italian, founded 1959) Pierpaolo Piccioli (Italian, born 1967) EVENING ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2017–18 haute couture Black wool-silk and brown cashmere Courtesy Valentino S.p.A.

This ensemble, like the other two garments from the same collection on view here, was inspired by the habits of monks depicted in the religious paintings of Spanish Baroque artist Francisco de Zurbarán. It specifically references the brown cowl, or capuce, of Franciscans monks and the black tunic of Benedictine and Augustinian monks.

Early Gothic Hall

CULT OF THE VIRGIN Some of the most remarkable examples of medieval stained glass in The Met Cloisters are found in the Early Gothic Hall. In medieval thought, the physical property of glass that allows it to transmit light while remaining intact was likened to Mary giving birth to Jesus while remaining a virgin. This idea is reflected in a dress by Jean Paul Gaultier on view here. Aptly titled Lumière, it is printed with an image of fifteenth- century French court painter Jean Fouquet’s Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels (the right panel of the Melun Diptych, ca. 1452), which Gaultier renders in leaded stained glass, fragmenting the image almost beyond recognition. This dress and the other two on view belong to his spring/summer 2007 haute couture collection titled “les Vierges” (the Virgins). The collection represented a sartorial meditation on the Blessed Virgin Mary, the subject of many of the sculptures in the Early Gothic Hall. It effectively unfolded as a catalogue of Marian iconography, including the halo, the veil, the color blue, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Traditionally, the heart, almost invariably shown with a pierced sword, symbolizes the Virgin Mary as a grieving mother, and is one of the most popular Marian devotions.

Music by Van den Budenmayer, née Zbigniew Preisner (Polish, born 1955). “Concerto en Mi Mineur (Sbi 152, Version de 1798),” from The Double Life of Véronique, 1991. Courtesy Sony (for EMI Blackwood Music)

Jean Paul Gaultier (French, born 1952) “GUADALUPE” EVENING ENSEMBLE, spring/ summer 2007 haute couture Light blue silk jersey and red silk mousseline, embroidered red bugle beads, paillettes, and crystals, with silver metal Courtesy Gaultier, Paris Hair by Shay Ashual

In this dress, Jean Paul Gaultier cites one of the most popular Marian devotions—the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Often worshipped alongside the Sacred Heart of Jesus, it represents the Virgin as a grieving mother, and is regarded as conveying compassion for humankind. The Immaculate Heart is almost invariably pictured as embroidered on this dress—with a sword piercing the heart, illustrating a verse from the Gospel of Luke: “And a sword will go through your heart; so that the secret thoughts of men may come to light.”

Jean Paul Gaultier (French, born 1952) “LUMIÈRE” EVENING ENSEMBLE, spring/summer 2007 haute couture Polychrome printed silk chiffon and black silk chiffon Courtesy Röhsska Museum, Sweden Hair by Shay Ashual

This dress is printed with Jean Fouquet’s Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels, the right panel of the Melun Diptych (ca. 1452). Gaultier has interpreted the image in leaded stained glass, making it almost unrecognizable. The garment bears formal similarities to the stained-glass panels behind it, which represent the Annunciation and the Adoration of the Magi and are from the Premonstratensian convent church at Altenberg-an-der- Lahn, near Wetzlar, Germany.

Jean Paul Gaultier (French, born 1952) “REGINA MARIS” EVENING ENSEMBLE, spring/ summer 2007 haute couture Blue silk satin, polychrome crystals and stones Courtesy Gaultier, Paris Hair by Shay Ashual

Blue is the color most cited by designers when evoking the Virgin Mary, as in this dress by Jean Paul Gaultier. The convention of depicting Mary in a blue mantle was established in the fifth century with the inception of the cult of the Virgin. Although initially selected because of its association with royalty, it came to signify Mary’s virtue and humility. Being the color of the sky, it also served as a reminder of her status as Queen of Heaven.

Gothic Chapel

THE CRUSADES I The Gothic Chapel is perhaps most noteworthy for its seven tombs with commemorative sculptural effigies, including the counts of Urgell, a knight of the d’Alluye family, and a lady (probably Margaret of Gloucester, the wife of Robert II, baron of Neubourg). These superb examples of sepulchral art are in conversation with the fashions on display. In its armored magnificence, John Galliano’s ensemble establishes both a formal and a 53

conceptual relationship to the armored gisant (recumbent effigy) of the knight of the d’Alluye family from the Abbey of La Clarté-Dieu. For three generations, men of the d’Alluye family of France “took the cross” and embarked for the Holy Land to “reclaim” it for European Christians (and, in the process, redeem their own souls). The dresses by Gareth Pugh and Olivier Theyskens echo this familial narrative through the crosses emblazoned across their bodices. In both ensembles the crosses are functional as well as decorative, as they are composed of fasteners: zippers in the dress by Pugh and hook-and-eye closures in the dress by Theyskens.

Gareth Pugh (British, born 1981) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2011–12 Black wool twill, silk chiffon, synthetic knit, black leather, gold metal zipper Courtesy Gareth Pugh Hair by Shay Ashual

Gareth Pugh (British, born 1981) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2011–12 Black wool twill, black leather, gold metal zipper Courtesy Gareth Pugh Hair by Shay Ashual

House of Dior (French, founded 1947) John Galliano (British, born Gibraltar, 1960) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2006–7 haute couture Black silk crepe, bronze-plated metal, black paillettes, clear crystals, gilt metal Courtesy Dior Heritage Collection, Paris Hair by Shay Ashual

Olivier Theyskens (Belgian, born 1977) EVENING DRESS, spring/summer 1999 Black silk taffeta moiré, silver metal hook- and-eye closures Courtesy Olivier Theyskens Hair by Shay Ashual

The Glass Gallery

THE GARDEN OF EDEN The three gardens at The Met Cloisters (Cuxa, Bonnefont, and Trie)—all designed and planted based on medieval texts and images—inspired the selection of garments in the Glass Gallery. The dress by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino was directly influenced by German painter Lucas Cranach the Elder’s depiction of the Garden of Eden in Adam and Eve (1526). Given its status in the Bible and its role in Christian historiography, it is not surprising that the Garden of Eden is a popular subject among artists and designers. Hieronymous Bosch’s triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights (ca. 1490–1500) inspired Jun Takahashi’s spring/summer 2015 collection for Undercover and Raf Simons’s autumn/winter 2015–16 haute couture collection for Christian Dior, examples from which, are featured in this gallery. Bosch’s triptych derives its name from its central panel, which depicts Eden as a false Paradise. Featuring plants and fruits both real and fantastical, it is a garden designed to deceive the senses—the antithesis of the three gardens at The Met Cloisters, which follow medieval designs meant to promote a closer communion with God through meditation and contemplation of the beauty of creation.

Music by Michael Nyman (British, born 1944). “Chasing Sheep Is Best Left to Shepherds,” from A Draughtsman’s Contract, 1982. Courtesy MN Records (Published by Chester Music).

Valentino S.p.A. (Italian, founded 1959) Maria Grazia Chiuri (Italian, born 1964) Pierpaolo Piccioli (Italian, born 1967) EVENING DRESS, spring/summer 2014 haute couture Gray silk net, embroidered polychrome silk and metal thread, brown and black feathers, and gold paillettes Gift of Valentino S.p.A., 2017 (2017.448.1) Hair by Shay Ashual

The Garden of Eden is the subject of this dress by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Picciolo, who took their inspiration from Lucas Cranach the Elder’s painting Adam and Eve (1526). The highly skilled petites mains (little hands) of the Valentino workshop executed the embroidery and perfectly captured not only the stylized whimsy but also the lively spontaneity of Cranach’s seductive vision of Paradise.

Undercover (Japanese, founded 1990) Jun Takahashi (Japanese, born 1969) ENSEMBLES, spring/summer 2015 Polychrome printed cotton twill and silk-linen sateen, black cotton sateen, brown silk-linen sateen, and black cowhide leather Courtesy Undercover

These dresses are printed with phantasmagoric iconography from Hieronymous Bosch’s triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights, collaged in a manner that heightens the painting’s proto-Surrealism. Arguably Bosch’s most complex and enigmatic creation, the triptych’s overall theme is the fate of humanity, more specifically the concept of sin, which starts in the Garden of Eden on the left panel and ends in Hell on the right.

House of Dior (French, founded 1947) Raf Simons (Belgian, born 1968) EVENING DRESS, autumn/winter 2015–16 haute couture Polychrome printed silk faille, pink crystals Courtesy Dior Heritage Collection, Paris

In this dress, Raf Simons presents a more abstracted interpretation of Hieronymous Bosch’s painting The Garden of Earthly Delights. Rendering the triptych’s fantastic flora and fauna in pointillist brushstrokes, Simons remarked, “I was intrigued by the idea of forbidden fruit, and what that meant now. The idea of purity and innocence versus luxury and decadence and how that is encapsulated by the idea of Dior’s garden—no longer a flower garden but a sexual one.”

Valentino S.p.A. (Italian, founded 1959) Maria Grazia Chiuri (Italian, born 1964) Pierpaolo Piccioli (Italian, born 1967) EVENING DRESS, autumn/winter 2015–16 haute couture Gold and white silk tulle, embroidered gold-painted feathers and silk-cotton plain weave Courtesy Valentino S.p.A. Hair by Shay Ashual

This ethereal dress is made from gold silk tulle. The skirt is lavishly embroidered with sheaves of wheat in gold silk thread, while the bodice is decorated with ears of wheat rendered three-dimensionally in hand-painted gold fabric and coq feathers, which have been stripped down to their filaments. The overall impression is of a sartorial evocation of Vincent Van Gogh’s Wheat Fields, a series of paintings inflected with the artist’s religious convictions (Van Gogh believed wheat fields were a metaphor for humanity’s cycles of life).

House of Dior (French, founded 1947) John Galliano (British, born Gibraltar, 1960) ENSEMBLE, spring/summer 2006 haute couture Red and black rubber-coated cotton-linen twill embroidered with black silk thread and seed beads, black silk chiffon, and metal grommets Courtesy Dior Heritage Collection, Paris Hair by Shay Ashual

This dress features a portrait of the controversial Italian political philosopher and statesman Niccolò Machiavelli from the title page of his influential political treatise The Prince (1532). The book was part of the personal library of King Francis I, who was once believed to have lived in the house from which the doorway and staircase enclosure here originate. The Prince was condemned by Paul IV for its promotion of anti-Christian values, and, along with all of Machiavelli’s works, was placed on the Catholic Church’s List of Prohibited Books. Publication of the list ceased after 1966, under Paul VI.

Treasury

TREASURES FOR HEAVEN II Notwithstanding the biblical injunction to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” rather than on earth (Matthew 6:20), medieval churches continued the ancient tradition of housing their most valuable objects in treasuries. The Met Cloisters treasury, like a similar treasury at the Met Fifth Avenue, contains key examples of such riches from across Europe, from the ninth to the fifteenth century. These works of art in precious materials are paired with fashions and accessories, some of which share formal associations, and which are treasures in and of themselves. Carved wood panels, illuminated manuscripts, silver and gold reliquaries, liturgical vestments, and ceremonial vessels offer material manifestations of faith that have been reinterpreted by designers in the vernacular of fashion. The objects attest to the artistic sophistication of medieval artists and patrons alike, and the juxtapositions here demonstrate the timeless ability of these works to engage and inspire designers in the present.

Alexander McQueen (British, founded 1992) Alexander McQueen (British, 1969–2010) Shaun Leane (British, born 1969) “CROWN OF THORNS” HEADPIECE, autumn/ winter 1996–97 Silver Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2018 (2018.56)

Alexander McQueen collaborated with the jeweler Shaun Leane to create this silver 58

“crown of thorns” headpiece formed from three entwined briars. It was featured in McQueen’s autumn/winter 1996–97 collection entitled “Dante” after the medieval Italian poet, whose Divine Comedy portrayed an allegorical vision of the afterlife. The crown of thorns, along with other objects linked to the suffering and death of Jesus, is depicted in the adjacent altar frontal as well as the oak panels lining this room.

Jean Paul Gaultier (French, born 1952) “COMMUNION” ENSEMBLE, spring/summer 2007 haute couture Pink silk mousseline, brown cotton lace appliqué Courtesy Gaultier, Paris Hair by Shay Ashual

Titled “Communion,” this dress displays a chalice formed out of gathered chiffon and overlaid with lace, echoing the delicate filigree of the adjacent chalice. While the foot of the chalice rests on the stomach of the wearer, the bowl is at the level of her breasts. Is this a typical Jean Paul Gaultier provocation playing on the notion of “cups”? Could it be an assertion of a woman’s (relatively recent) right to offer the chalice at Mass? Or does the wearer embrace the sacred cup in the manner of medieval images of Saint Barbara?

Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973) Maison Lesage (French, founded 1924) EMBROIDERY SAMPLE, winter 1938–39 White leather, embroidered polychrome silk and gold metal thread Courtesy Maison Lesage

Created by Maison Lesage for Elsa Schiaparelli’s winter 1938–39 collection, this embroidery sample skillfully reproduces the illustrative flourishes of an illuminated manuscript, like the one on display opposite. The text is derived from the lais of Marie de France, twelve short narrative poems composed in the late twelfth century that focus on themes of chivalry and courtly love. It reads, “Belle Amie / ainsi va de nous / Ni vous sans moi / ni moi sans vous.” (Dear love, that is our story, too: Never you without me, or me without you). The excerpt comes from the poem Chevrefoil (Honeysuckle), a title that is visually reinforced through the floral borders.

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (French, born 1949) CHASUBLE FOR A BISHOP, 1997 Green, blue, red, orange, yellow, and undyed wool gabardine, black ink Courtesy Jean-Charles de Castelbajac

Initiated by Saint John Paul II in 1985, World Youth Day (WYD) is an event for young people organized by the Catholic Church to celebrate the concepts of unity, acceptance, and community. For the 1997 WYD, the archbishop of Paris, Jean-Marie Cardinal Lustiger, commissioned the French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac to create vestments for a delegation of five hundred attending bishops and five thousand priests. Castelbajac based his design on the rainbow, “for its biblical associations—its link between humans and their Creator as established in the aftermath of Noah’s Flood, when the rainbow became a symbol of peace and reconciliation.” The chasubles for bishops featured five colors of the rainbow (green, blue, red, orange, and yellow) in vertical stripes running down the front and back.

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (French, born 1949) Maison Lesage (French, founded 1924) CHASUBLE FOR SAINT JOHN PAUL II (reigned 1978– 2005), 1997 White silk shantung, polychrome wool felt, ultrasuede, and foil appliqué, gold metallic, hand-painted Byzantine crosses, and embroidered gold seed beads Courtesy Treasury of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris

This chasuble, which Jean-Charles de Castelbajac created for Saint John Paul II to wear on World Youth Day in 1997, echoes the colors that he used for the chasubles worn by attendant bishops and priests (an example is on view nearby). For His Holiness, Castelbajac used white silk with a repeat pattern of crosses rendered on both sides of the vestment. The seed beads on the cross motifs were applied by Maison Lesage, the premiere embroiderer for the haute couture. The designer intended “to substitute gold thread, associated with the old church of luxury, with colors to project a sense of democracy and modernity.”

Nine Heroes Tapestries Room

THE CRUSADES II With their crusading ideals and actions, the figures of the Nine Heroes—especially the Christian heroes King Arthur, Charlemagne, and Godfrey of Bouillon— provide the context for the Craig Green ensembles featured in this room. Since his debut in 2012, Green’s collections have been defined by a synthesis of military and religious references—so much so that Women’s Wear Daily dubbed his clothes “warrior monk.” This moniker aptly describes these garments, which evoke images of chivalric warriors through their flat “armor plates” laced together with Green’s signature string fastenings. These plates are directly inspired by the orarion, the long, narrow stole worn by deacons in the Orthodox Church. The garments’ textures and most of their patterns, however, are drawn from Islamic art, specifically carpets and prayer mats. This conflation of aesthetic codes from different religions is typical of the expansive embrace of Green’s designs.

Music by Ennio Morricone (Italian, born 1928). “On Earth as It Is in Heaven,” from The Mission: Music from the Motion Picture, 1986. Performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Published by BMG Gold Songs (ASCAP). All rights administered by Universal Music Enterprises and BMG Rights Management (US) LLC

Craig Green (British, born 1986) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2017–18 Beige quilted jute canvas, polychrome embroidered pile of acrylic thread Courtesy Craig Green

Unicorn Tapestries Room

SACRED/SECULAR The dramatic narratives and rich botanical details of the Unicorn Tapestries have prompted sacred as well as secular interpretations. This is true, especially, of The Unicorn in Captivity, the most beloved tapestry at The Met Cloisters. Sacred readings of this hanging construe the unicorn as a symbol of Christ, while secular readings interpret him as a happy groom bonded by marriage. These analyses come together in Thom Browne’s dazzling wedding dress, which was accompanied down the runway by a life-size unicorn puppet. Composed of hundreds of white tulle ribbons, the dress has a unicorn camouflaged across its surface, its outline barely visible in gold thread. The back vents are bordered by red ribbons, a poignant allusion to the red drops on the animal’s back in the tapestry, often interpreted as the juice of the pomegranate. In a secular reading of the fruit as a symbol of fertility, these red ribbons can suggest menstrual blood. But with a sacred understanding of the pomegranate as a symbol of the Resurrection, they can be interpreted as Christ’s blood. Browne’s wedding dress, like the tapestry, serves as a poetic reminder that, for the medieval mind, the secular and the sacred were deeply intertwined and nothing was ever far from God.

Thom Browne (American, born 1965) WEDDING ENSEMBLE, spring/summer 2018 White silk organza, white nylon tulle, embroidered white silk thread, gold bullion, pearls, crystals, clear glass, and mother-of-pearl, white mink Courtesy Thom Browne Hair by Shay Ashual

Boppard Room

MARY, MOTHER OF GOD The Boppard Room takes its name from the six large stained-glass windows from the former Carmelite church at Boppard-am- Rhein, near Koblenz, Germany. Dating to 1440–46, the windows feature the Virgin Mary and five saints: Servatius, Lambert, Catherine, Dorothy, and Barbara. The Virgin is dressed in a blue gown adorned with representations of wheat. Known as the Ährenkleid, this iconographic type originated in litanies to the Virgin that likened her to a field of grain nourishing humankind with the bread of life. The gown introduces the dress embroidered with wheat by Gabrielle Chanel, which anchors the room. The wheat on the Chanel dress, as on Mary’s garment, signifies God’s bounty and the metaphorical harvest reaped from sowing the Gospel. Ears of the grain also represent the body of Christ and the bread eaten during the sacrament of Holy Communion in commemoration of the Last Supper.

Music by Alfredo Catalani (Italian, 1854–1893). “La Wally,” 1892. Arranged by Vladimir Cosma (French, born 1940) and performed by Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez (American, born 1949) in Diva, 1981. Published and Produced by Larghetto Music (SACEM) ℗ 1981 & © 1993 Larghetto Music

House of Chanel (French, founded 1913) Gabrielle Chanel (French, 1883–1971) COCKTAIL DRESS, spring/summer 1960 haute couture Ivory cotton lace, embroidered gold silk and metal thread Courtesy CHANEL Patrimoine Collection

“MADONNA RIDES AGAIN II” HAT, 2001 haute couture Natural straw Courtesy Philip Treacy

“MADONNA RIDES AGAIN” HATS, 1998 Natural straw Courtesy Philip Treacy Courtesy Selina Blow The Burg Weiler Altarpiece, which depicts the coronation of the Virgin, prompted the selection of hats by Philip Treacy. In their architectural magnificence, the hats evoke the white-winged 63

cornette of the Daughters of Charity, popularized by Sally Field in the 1960s American television series The Flying Nun. With its starched folded “wings,” the cornette became a beloved (and poetic) symbol of the order. Despite their exaggerated proportions, Treacy’s hats, like those of the sisters, are defined by a balance and weightlessness that defies their scale.

The Merode Room

THE ANNUNCIATION The Merode Room is dedicated to works of art created for private devotion. Its centerpiece is the Annunciation Triptych (also known as the Merode Altarpiece, after its previous owner) by the workshop of Robert Campin. One of the most celebrated works of art at The Met Cloisters, the triptych’s attention to detail is emblematic of early Netherlandish painting. The design of the dress by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino synthesizes the main attributes of the triptych’s principal protagonists: the red, flowing robe of the Virgin and the wings of the angel, rendered as voluminous cape sleeves subtly decorated with feathers executed in trapunto quilting. The primary inspiration of the dress was another masterpiece of early Netherlandish painting: Hans Memling’s Virgin and Child Enthroned with Two Angels (1485–90; private collection).

Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973) Maison Lesage (French, founded 1924) “ANGELICO” EMBROIDERY SAMPLE, autumn/winter 1938–39 Pale gray silk georgette, embroidered gold metal and silk thread, gold beads, black paillettes, and blue crystals Courtesy Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris

The tapestry depicting the Annunciation, which hangs on the adjacent wall, finds an echo in this embroidery sample by Albert Lesage for Elsa Schiaparelli. Likely intended to frame a neckline or armhole, the sample depicts a gilded wing accented with crystals, beads and paillettes. The design is titled “Angelico,” a clear reference to the Italian Renaissance artist and Dominican friar posthumously called Fra Angelico.

Valentino S.p.A. (Italian, founded 1959) Maria Grazia Chiuri (Italian, born 1964) Pierpaolo Piccioli (Italian, born 1967) DRESS, spring/summer 2015 haute couture Red silk velvet Courtesy Valentino S.p.A.

Late Gothic Hall

GOTHIC ART AND FASHION The Late Gothic Hall is the largest gallery at The Met Cloisters, housing paintings and sculpture from the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, most of which came from dismantled large altarpieces of Germany and Spain. These altarpieces contextualize the fashions featured in the hall, several of which were designed by Alexander McQueen. Religion was an unflagging source of inspiration for the designer, especially early Netherlandish religious paintings. Asked if he could live and work in any era, McQueen responded: “Fifteenth- century Flanders. My favorite part of art. Because of the colors, because of the sympathetic way they approached life.” The influence of early Netherlandish painting is explicit in the ensembles McQueen designed for his autumn/winter 2010–11 collection, shown following his death on February 11, 2010. The collection was inspired by religious paintings and altarpieces by artists such as Hieronymus Bosch, Botticelli, Jean Fouquet, Hugo van der Goes, Jean Hey, Stefan Lochner, and Hans Memling. The designs poignantly represented McQueen’s lifelong engagement with the themes of religion and the afterlife.

Alexander McQueen (British, founded 1992) Alexander McQueen (British, 1969–2010) COAT DRESS, autumn/winter 1997–98 Green wool and polychrome printed silk Courtesy Mira Chai Hyde; Gift from Alexander McQueen Hair by Shay Ashual

The panel depicting Saint Michael the Archangel on the adjacent wall is in dialogue with this coat dress by Alexander McQueen. The garment is printed with a detail from the central panel of a triptych of the Last Judgment attributed to the German painter Hans Memling that portrays Saint Michael weighing souls and driving the damned toward hell. The coat is from McQueen’s autumn/winter 1997–98 collection, which also included a jacket printed with a detail from Netherlandish Renaissance painter Robert Campin’s The Thief to the Left of Christ.

Alexander McQueen (British, founded 1992) Alexander McQueen (British, 1969–2010) DRESS, autumn/winter 2010–11 Polychrome silk jacquard, embroidered gold sequins, black silk satin Private collection, Mexico Hair by Shay Ashual

These ensembles from Alexander McQueen’s unofficially and posthumously titled “Angels and Demons” collection claim a formal and conceptual connection to the altarpiece with scenes from the Passion on view nearby. This dress features details taken from three works by Hieronymous Bosch: The Temptation of Saint Anthony, The Last Judgment, and The Garden of Earthly Delights. Stefan Lochner’s Dombild Altarpiece (or Altarpiece of the Patron Saints of Cologne) was the inspiration for the dress at far right, which features a detail of the right panel, showing Saint Gereon with his companions. In the former dress, the images were captured digitally and then woven into jacquard, while in the latter they were printed and engineered to fit the individual garment.

Alexander McQueen (British, founded 1992) Alexander McQueen (British, 1969–2010) EVENING DRESS, autumn/winter 2010–11 Gray, white, and black silk jacquard Purchase, Gould Family Foundation Gift, in memory of Jo Copeland, 2011 (2011.167)

The delicate grisaille painting that covers the front panels of The Portinari triptych by Hugo van der Goes, directly inspired this dress by Alexander McQueen for which the figure of the Archangel Gabriel was captured digitally, rendered as a mirror image, and woven into a jacquard. On the front of the dress, this double image suggests the closed panels of an altarpiece. Wrapping around the body, it terminates at the back into a pair of loose folds that suggest the textile’s woven wings. Constructed from a single piece of fabric, and fitted so that the design relates perfectly to the body, the dress is a tour de force of tailoring.

Alexander McQueen (British, founded 1992) Alexander McQueen (British, 1969–2010) ENSEMBLE, autumn/winter 2010–11 Polychrome printed silk satin, white silk organdy, tulle, synthetic netting, embroidered gold- painted feathers; polychrome printed leather Purchase, Gould Family Foundation Gift, in memory of Jo Copeland, 2011 (2011.168a, b) Hair by Shay Ashual

John Galliano (British, born Gibraltar, 1960) DRESS, spring/summer 1986 Pale pink cotton muslin Courtesy Victoria and Albert Museum Hair by Shay Ashual

Like the adjacent statue of the Angel of the Annunciation, John Galliano’s dress evokes the elegant draperies of classical dress. The garment was featured in Galliano’s spring/summer 1986 collection, “Fallen Angels,” which was inspired by the fashion of the French Directory (1795–99), especially that of the Merveilleuses (Marvelous Ones), youthful aristocrats who scandalized Paris with their Greek-style sheer muslin dresses.

Dolce & Gabbana (Italian, founded 1985) Domenico Dolce (Italian, born 1958) Stefano Gabbana (Italian, born 1962) “PENELOPE” WEDDING ENSEMBLE, spring/ summer 2013 alta moda Gold silk and metal macramé lace, grosgrain-covered whalebone, gold metal filigree with polychrome crystals, gold silk tulle with gold Lurex Courtesy Dolce & Gabbana

This Dolce & Gabbana dress is framed by the altarpiece on the wall behind it, which depicts the Virgin and Child in the top panel. From their debut alta moda collection, the design was inspired by the gilded statue of the Virgin Mary on the main spire of Milan’s cathedral. Known as the Madonnina, she was covered with a gray-green cloth on the eve of World War II to avoid providing an easy target for fighter bombers. She remained “dressed” for five years, until the end of the war.