"Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" exhibition at the Met
A historian of early Christianity with a specialty in religious dress considers how the Metropolitan Museum’s recent gala and new Costume Institute exhibition might align with or offend early Christian sensibilities.
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Last week, the companion exhibition, Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, opened to the public, showcasing a collection high-fashion inspired by Christian clothing, art, and architecture, alongside ecclesiastical vestments and accessories on loan from the Vatican. The common thread that ties together all the of these items is the elaborate ornamentation, meticulous fabrication, and lavish expense of the one-of-a-kind garments for which the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute has come to be known.
Although many drooled over the red carpet looks and are awestruck by the exhibition, some are complaining about what they see as the tastelessness — and even offensiveness — of the theme. Piers Morgan, for instance, criticized the Met for making light of a religion held dear by many.
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