In America: An Anthology of Fashion

Normally I will go to the Met to check out new exhibits shortly after they open. That way if I like them, I can visit again before the exhibit closes.

But I hadn’t actually intended to go to the latest fashion exhibit at the Met. Then, a few days before it closed, I saw a photo of this display on Instagram.

So of course, I had to go over and check it out. :😉

When I arrived, there was a line of course. Then it turned out that most of the display was too poorly lit for photographing.

That’s a shame because it included a jacket worn by George Washington and one from Brooks Brothers that belonged to Abraham Lincoln.

But the display in the Versailles panorama was magnificent.

It’s the most bizarre room if you haven’t seen it. A 360 degree view of Versailles. Very primitive. No comparison to the lovely works in the upstairs galleries.

Apparently, John Vanderlyn, the painter, originally created and displayed the work at a rotunda on the north end of City Hall Park in 1818.

I’m not surprised to hear that it was not well received.

So he toured with it to make some money. I’m not exactly sure how he did that. Or how it then ended up at the Met. But I can say this is the best use of that space that I have seen.

Cheers!
PJ
© 2022 PJ Lehrer