The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme

[ad_1] by Jacqueline A. O'Neill · May 7, 2025

Pop CultureWhat Is Black Dandyism? The Art-Historical Roots Behind the 2025 Met Gala ThemeBy Jo Lawson-Tancred <img data-lazyloaded="1" width="340" height="220" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NaNbPmvq1EzKgrmVW4Db5xERc4gj_CSzJCh3ziK9YjG_KEJ9ynM3EZBs3RvHiRhHOxNjK7XRFBHocpX6VPcsFJHFy3DhccIoIl7IaaCvnzNiqBHtY4nbCkDh1nzplhNY7YmAbnkSBILSQIpmV1ZInWhJPk=s0-d-e1-ft#https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2025/05/HORIZONTALIZING-VERTICAL-IMAGES-2-340x440.png" alt="Iwan and Manuela Wirth Make a Surprising $10.5 Million Sale—and More Juicy Art World Gossip" data-bit="iit" title="The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme 4"/>

Wet PaintPRO Iwan and Manuela Wirth Make a Surprising $10.5 Million Sale—and More Juicy Art World Gossip By Annie Armstrong<img data-lazyloaded="1" width="340" height="220" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_Nak1IjwOkpJ0uD4vuqfU0vX1YhKu8123CjilFnWwtHRguC3JfmXXID1F5k0D-GE1bWDnVkU492C8F6Bb70Y3g3Xsw3do5SjPYfjvAPFMG0ylTDN0mjFJQuqdF-mDjtt8QQJiIHtBtGNAvqmGwjoDIcYc4cf0Iy6EZJ_OsVtRoiYh0M=s0-d-e1-ft#https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2025/04/2017_Hero_Medardo_Rosso_Challenged_Conventions-1-340x440.jpg" alt="Meet Medardo Rosso, Rodin’s Rival Who Invented Modern Sculpture" data-bit="iit" title="The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme 5"/>Art HistoryMeet Medardo Rosso, Rodin’s Rival Who Invented Modern SculptureBy Jo Lawson-Tancred<img data-lazyloaded="1" width="340" height="220" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NavGAgyEB7r652JYBzK9g35xw5zpDo6ZJ-XC_P1UQoSbe19KRDy-TnsatJmVgOfqvcU9nMeN7sWwpauuT8D2quRnIBKffGQHPJzVrDrvLTbNYBe7YKUdvbeK888TVEKceFXqywABA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2025/05/050225_Header_Frieze-340x440.jpg" alt="How Much Should an Art Fair Cost?" data-bit="iit" title="The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme 6"/>MarketPROHow Much Should an Art Fair Cost?By Margaret Carrigan<img data-lazyloaded="1" width="340" height="220" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NZxkoHLQVCbyQxr1sUmDCP5xMhHhq6JRKYEEc3SrxNP32elrutryBXin5R09sTOFOzecOn_kBMSwaDoz0VYBRuZzG_AOrMpmLCwIrTNIV_P7ovyaUh_7gsf4pouqb0NrAozCAEtwPTN=s0-d-e1-ft#https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2025/04/GettyImages-2181855613-340x440.jpg" alt="Is the Great Sphinx Actually a Portrait?" data-bit="iit" title="The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme 7"/>Archaeology & HistoryIs the Great Sphinx Actually a Portrait?By Tim BrinkhofRead More <img data-lazyloaded="1" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NZ1b0QdvLQVgCN2g0iycd74RNdrDSBpaNcABx4LN-f2UMOIMWsMnsl2kHug0tbG1UA17aKzyWoAX8r8Kbe7IINWvEZbBfgg-L7oqCn-g7vFpsALl2APA8G7DPPsHrdvMeOxd7dNdK4Bnr0Nqi-b=s0-d-e1-ft#https://media.artnet.com/image/upload/v1688068461/newsletter-sailthru/right-arrow-2x.png" alt="→" width="40" height="15" data-bit="iit" title="The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme 8"/>Marketplace<img data-lazyloaded="1" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NYMivPP_8qbxxNl3Sw7j81NBoi6X6Y3smmCHiZo7E_hw6CO5buKzi-MEzYRAmusOvjFK5nUtBoa043Ksh3BWh4_hhallzopEFPd40qCI5dZBGTUvhhLldmHgpbD0Z4sb1ogv_TfqKhi_w5ardrBnMnVlmFF8gSvjKrJI2IJNaBeSDu4uoAcwlhFMmJJmF2N3FY=s0-d-e1-ft#https://link.artnet.com/fl/55e709d43b35d0ff0e8c08a9nn4pz.tik/649c70069863c20de3080e65/681486aa50bc3a618401c26c/52355b8c.gif" alt="52355b8c" width="272" height="368" border="0" data-bit="iit" title="The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme 9"/>Brent WaddenTo Be Titled, 2017<img data-lazyloaded="1" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NYc4L19De44soHSa_sZJkz421CCeXqemZ1ITEFTH1eaTsrQgzLFL0Vn_tRkZ-JkvzDrm2PKKlLcTBKZDvis2QJUNCMjAE1sKKnLb6w6qOWvMJT45IGo2OnFuRcywRO5A4LY2ZGoyUvUGfLjno759ryUbx23nR1Mycoc5m41RgUG8RwgMQHttMVcH0OZjWqgqgs=s0-d-e1-ft#https://link.artnet.com/fl/55e709d43b35d0ff0e8c08a9nn4pz.tik/649ef37c17ec7fdfdd0f031a/681486b62eebbf5c4200ec69/d070fcf2.gif" alt="d070fcf2" width="272" height="368" border="0" data-bit="iit" title="The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme 10"/>Artnet Auctions:Robert LongoStudy for Eric, 1983<img data-lazyloaded="1" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_Nb3Ea-KZKi_cW8QxoR62k0zcYdprHVP9KC-vwTyp2-lEHAyX2icvhPCxHzrEd2nHmxla6j6aSHRVXrHK1qaim_JGjv3O2D-5OSSChLYhtphKETLbK_4wP8EKFmKCseznlN_9Epc0mmyFTMqVBlzSHuBFFsZSfFqLfXcCWA9ELIIZRXW1KWnR90y8EMfZj9NavE=s0-d-e1-ft#https://link.artnet.com/fl/55e709d43b35d0ff0e8c08a9nn4pz.tik/649c70436e458f23f4089609/681486bccd881c8dd400059c/63625f51.gif" alt="63625f51" width="272" height="368" border="0" data-bit="iit" title="The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme 11"/>Artnet Galleries:CODA GalleryCarrie Graber, Hollywood Hills<img data-lazyloaded="1" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NbVT2tCgHnTsd038vYdqFt6CTKll7RmP3fCL_ZsqpmD5in13pG_dFg--rbJbNnf1aO4bcJxD_rxdP9FtgzYN9dG49ffPeR7DGjOKq7Egth9o-mPmM_tY481IhPFsTfhjLsEnYRGF_rBIYGFH6orY4xpJNGlEu3O0xSqsHnmM9jheCYwKwIAaPpDrvDzqAmT4g4=s0-d-e1-ft#https://link.artnet.com/fl/55e709d43b35d0ff0e8c08a9nn4pz.tik/649c704d76299434de083ab7/681486c863c3c3642506afb7/c8d51241.gif" alt="c8d51241" width="272" height="368" border="0" data-bit="iit" title="The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme 12"/>Artnet Galleries:Eins zu EinsDaniel Weil, Chess Court Table, 2024<img data-lazyloaded="1" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_Na2BiBg8Pe7k8WIxkkT3yXb-6DqEDoLnfq9lziiyqO_Z6zI6u39WOtvbX-Lfw1pagP1jGD80tOZ2jDYA-Ns5lhNa90fkU0X8dMZjkNGS-52-XZX9qh1_FbU5e5C_C0EqIcny8l8YV4e2VGDkKR-2r3xMTHSTAnbi5bDA2G1l2xBY_c7wOvAkyz4t4yZbSuphRU=s0-d-e1-ft#https://link.artnet.com/fl/55e709d43b35d0ff0e8c08a9nn4pz.tik/649c70571a119038a70ea9de/681486cf689d1ca4230fc0c5/5f2b65e3.gif" alt="5f2b65e3" width="272" height="368" border="0" data-bit="iit" title="The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme 13"/>Artnet Galleries:CLAMPZack Seckler, Blue Shale Folds, 2024<img data-lazyloaded="1" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NZXZhNLW8hZQLaFK9kqQzvZsdEaanf1WX6JPThAWvVivPN_5jlmuFDrma3VwgEEiOJRnFUoAzS1-4uWO1iCLZzkQRGry5yzvKTIrDW9HbIKz5afEUUj6QPwCZ57jMEiou-YX75-_VkprzRh8y_LbukqaXMtVVWAs-U0uq4RSHR32g2VuTgYwIZH6XNbYCsgj4M=s0-d-e1-ft#https://link.artnet.com/fl/55e709d43b35d0ff0e8c08a9nn4pz.tik/649c705f68935370b305c7c0/681486d67ef668aa2406341c/6c0482c2.gif" alt="6c0482c2" width="272" height="368" border="0" data-bit="iit" title="The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme 14"/>Artnet Galleries:Franklin Bowles GalleriesEduardo Arranz-Bravo, Nuvuls Rosa, 1972Live on Auctions <img data-lazyloaded="1" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NZ1b0QdvLQVgCN2g0iycd74RNdrDSBpaNcABx4LN-f2UMOIMWsMnsl2kHug0tbG1UA17aKzyWoAX8r8Kbe7IINWvEZbBfgg-L7oqCn-g7vFpsALl2APA8G7DPPsHrdvMeOxd7dNdK4Bnr0Nqi-b=s0-d-e1-ft#https://media.artnet.com/image/upload/v1688068461/newsletter-sailthru/right-arrow-2x.png" alt="→" width="40" height="15" data-bit="iit" title="The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme 8"/>Live on Galleries <img data-lazyloaded="1" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NZ1b0QdvLQVgCN2g0iycd74RNdrDSBpaNcABx4LN-f2UMOIMWsMnsl2kHug0tbG1UA17aKzyWoAX8r8Kbe7IINWvEZbBfgg-L7oqCn-g7vFpsALl2APA8G7DPPsHrdvMeOxd7dNdK4Bnr0Nqi-b=s0-d-e1-ft#https://media.artnet.com/image/upload/v1688068461/newsletter-sailthru/right-arrow-2x.png" alt="→" width="40" height="15" data-bit="iit" title="The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme 8"/> <img data-lazyloaded="1" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NYk8AThRpeJsR_m6nrZxStn1mCr3SrO_7f8nwwIe2dVD6uGCoLCiRWoryfb7Wbpj6lfhEbGw2JFA1BKVThZ1IhawSy8nfCM7bMW-USf7l80Crardx_11ALylEcH_jjZm1kmbqwJwmnwu0iAcGv9luyz5ilf_IDiWHU2_c-5NzJ_a6fKr7r7XA-aK9HoArhM3k4=s0-d-e1-ft#https://link.artnet.com/fl/55e709d43b35d0ff0e8c08a9nn4pz.tik/649c6fd189f680aa9d02f295/68124e4b26af09de30082b3b/25b18196.gif" alt="25b18196" width="640" height="150" border="0" data-bit="iit" title="The Art History Behind the Met Gala Theme 17"/>