The Art of Dressing: Dressing Like an Artist

Rembrandt’s turbans, Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun’s scarves, Rosa Bonheur’s trousers, Rodin’s rendition of Balzac’s dressing gown, Andy Warhol’s wig, Niki de Saint Phalle’s snake-dress… Do the clothes make the artist?

For the first time at the Louvre-Lens, art and fashion have come together to create an unprecedented exhibition. From the toga to the electric dress and from ceremonial regalia to overalls and work shirts, the artist’s attire says much about the era, the artistic intention and the place of the artist in society. This exhibition assembles over 200 hundred works of art, including paintings, sculptures, clothing, haute-couture creations, drawings, photographs and videos, from the Renaissance to the present day. It reinforces just how much artists themselves contribute to the history of clothing, but also how fashion designers from Yves Saint Laurent to Christian Dior have sought inspiration from art history. A garment can be a work of art and a work of art can be a garment, creating a fully-fledged language that artists over time have endlessly developed.

In a continuation of the textile history of the Hauts-de-France region, the Louvre-Lens has called on its young talent, joining forces with five institutions, from secondary schools to training colleges specialising in fashion professions, to create a series of tailor-made features to enhance the visitor experience, from augmented reality cartels to a nomad material library.

Curators :
Olivier Gabet, Director of Arts Department At The Louvre Museum, Paris
Annabelle Ténèze, Director of the Louvre-Lens Museum
Marie Gord and Audrey Palacin, Research assistants

Design exhibition: Mathis Boucher, Louvre-Lens museum

With the support of the Fondation Crédit Mutuel Nord Europe, major sponsor.

Image: Rembrandt, self -portrait at the easel, 1660, Louvre museum © Grandpalaisrmn (Louvre Museum) – Hervé Lewandowski