You don’t have much more time to view an amazing exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity tells the story of Impressionism and how it was influenced by fashion. It runs from February 26-May 27, 2013….so make sure to make plans ASAP!
During the time when Impressionism developed and became relevant by Parisian artists, the city of lights also became the style capital of the world. Fashion magazines, department stores, and ready-made clothing were all coming-of-age and boundary pushing. Manet, Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Emile Zola, and many other artists began looking at contemporary clothing and entwined la mode with modernity. The latest trends were alluring and Impressionists portrayed stylish Parisians in their work. To paint modern life, fashion had to matter. The exhibition has eight different galleries each depicting a different part of Parisian fashion in Paris during modernity
In the first gallery are artist’s renditions of the French woman or the Parisienne. They wanted to capture who the women of that moment were and their depictions both pleased and provoked. As the 1870s became the 1880s, the bustle led to the “princess style” and painter’s interests changed along with the trends. They changed their interests from the details of embroidered hemlines to the effect of the sun on the fabric. Another gallery depicts the clothing of men, which are much more simple and limited than the women’s clothing. Their accessories included headwear and canes, while the artists used their creativity to crop or pose the men so they would stand out more. Fashion and art go hand in hand, and many important eras, especially the Impressionist is influenced through fashion.
