Picturing French Style: Three Hundred Years of Art and Fashion

Picturing French Style features works of art and fashion that highlight the special relationship between these two cultural forces in France. It explores the reciprocal influences of art and fashion, and demonstrates the collaborative spirit that continues to thrive today among designers and artists. Portraits beginning with the reign of Louis XIV reveal the details of 18th century fashion, while essays discuss the careers of Marie-Jeanne “Rose” Bertin, Marie-Antoinette’s minister of fashion, and Charles Frederick Worth, often termed the father of haute couture. Works by Rodin, Degas, Bonnard, Cézanne, Renoir, and Picasso, and gowns by Chanel, Ungaro, Givenchy, and Dior bring fashion through the 19th and 20th centuries, ending with the contemporary World Cup installation by Matthieu Manche and Dress on Wheels by Marie-Ange Guilleminot.