With a name like “Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity,” the new exhibit at the Met had a tall order to fill. After all, some Monet, gorgeous dresses, and a vague-yet-appealing term like modernity should be a pretty great combination. This gave the exhibit a lot of hype and a lot to live up to, but somehow it far exceeded any of my expectations.
The exhibit, which opened on February 6th and is on its second stop after Paris and before heading to Chicago, explores the closely-related ties between fashion and art. It is an extensive tour of Parisian fashion during the 19th century at a time when the fashion scene was erupting – the department store was on the rise, magazines began popping up, and ready-to-wear clothing was introduced. Each piece prominently displays the time period’s trends, and the artists’ care and precision with which they detail the Parisian men and women’s wardrobes highlight the role fashion played during at this time.
Encased in the middle of the multiple rooms is a total of 14 dresses that reflect the ones in the paintings, often matched by every intricate embroidered detail and stitch. Although the dresses provide a tangible complement to the paintings, they did not captivate my attention as much as I thought they would. Instead I was drawn to the way the female subjects wore the gowns in the paintings, bringing them to life and modeling them with their grace and beauty.
More than just an emerald ball gown here and a patterned scarf there, the role of clothing was celebrated by the artists and was central to their work. “‘Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity’ brings a constellation of outstanding Impressionist paintings to New York, and it seeks to situate them with a distinctively new context,” comments Dr. Marnin Young, Assistant Professor of Art History at SCW, who is taking his Impressionism Seminar students to the exhibit later in the month. “By focusing on the clothes worn in the pictures, and by juxtaposing them with historical examples of such costumes, the exhibition enriches our understanding of the subjects represented in the paintings. It also points to the broader significance of the paintings themselves within modern visual culture.”
What is truly remarkable about this exhibit, and what will keep you there long past when you planned on staying, is the extensiveness of the collection. Starting in the countryside with Monet’s two paneled Luncheon on the Grass and ending 8 rooms later in the city with Caillebotte’s Paris Street; Rainy Day, every aspect of French fashion is touched upon. In between, many other greats make an appearance – Tissot, Manet, and Degas among others. With a room devoted to white dresses, another solely to black ones, and another to menswear, there are no loose threads left hanging. A room with accessories displays corsets, slippers, and hats, among other staples that completed the woman’s stylish appearance. Quotes on the walls mixed in among the paintings are insightful bits that, along with displays of fashion books of the time, provide a well-rounded view of the way fashion has a hand in guiding history.
The paintings and clothing displays will whisk you away on a journey–one fashionable woman at a time–that will leave you wanting to tie your corset, grab your parasol (of which some gorgeous black lace ones are featured) and stroll the streets of Paris circa 1880. Your expectations will not be let down. Go catch this exhibit before May 27th to let yourself be taken over by those three powerful words–Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity.