NEW YORK.- From the clothing of ancient Greece to such modern evocations as Madame Grès’s emblematic draped creations and Versace’s Neoclassical loincloths, classical dress has profoundly inspired and influenced art and fashion in the millennia. Goddess: The Classical Mode - a major exhibition opening in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on May 1, 2003 - will present paintings, photographs, sculpture, and decorative works from classical times to the present, cinema and theater costumes, and clothing from the 18th century onward, to reveal the many ways in which classical dress has become a truly ageless style.
In addition to the Greek and Roman sculptures, vase paintings, and frescoes that provide vivid illustrations of the origins of classical dress, the exhibition will feature works from the Byzantine, Medieval, and Renaissance periods, as well as late 18th- and early 19th-century art.
Clothing and accessories from the Empire and Directoire periods will provide examples of explicit classicism, and will be presented alongside works from the Metropolitan Museum’s collections by Nattier, David, Ingres, and Prud’hon. As the exhibition examines the continuing presence of classical dress in the 20th century, the designs of Madame Grès, Vionnet, Yves Saint Laurent, Fortuny, Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Gucci, Halston, and Issey Miyake will be juxtaposed with costumes created for Isadora Duncan’s dance performances and for such films as Medea and One Touch of Venus. Goddess: The Classical Mode is organized by Harold Koda, Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute. An illustrated book and a roster of educational programs will accompany the exhibition.