Heavenly Bodies, which opened to the public on May 10, is the largest exhibition that either The Costume Institute or The Met has ever mounted, covering 60,000 square feet in 25 galleries. Organized by Andrew Bolton, Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, the exhibition spans The Met Fifth Avenue’s medieval galleries, Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries for Byzantine Art, part of The Robert Lehman Wing, and the Anna Wintour Costume Center, as well as The Met Cloisters in northern Manhattan.
The thematic exhibition presents a dialogue between fashion and masterworks of medieval art in The Met collection to examine fashion’s ongoing engagement with the traditions of Catholicism. A group of papal robes and accessories from the Vatican serves as the cornerstone of the exhibition, highlighting the enduring influence of liturgical vestments on designers. The 42 ecclesiastical masterworks come from the Sistine Chapel sacristy, and many of them have never been seen outside the Vatican.
The exhibition is made possible by Christine and Stephen A. Schwarzman, and Versace.
Additional support is provided by Condé Nast.
