Image COSTUME MUSEUM PRESENTS "DRESSING A GARDEN": FLORAL BEAUTY IN HISTORICAL FASHION

COSTUME MUSEUM PRESENTS "DRESSING A GARDEN": FLORAL BEAUTY IN HISTORICAL FASHION
2024/05/21

The Costume Museum, Ethnological Heritage Research Center and dependent on the Ministry of Culture, inaugurates the exhibition "Dressing a garden", curated by Gema Batanero. Starting on May 23 , the public will be able to enjoy this exhibition that explores the evolution of floral motifs in fashion and textiles from the Baroque to the Enlightenment.

The exhibition "Dressing a Garden" highlights the representation of floral motifs in clothing and textiles , reflecting the profound changes in the relationships between humans and the natural world during the 18th and 19th centuries. Through the collections of the Costume Museum, the exhibition explores how flowers became a key element in the fashion of the time, influenced by commercial exchanges and technological advances.

The exhibition, which includes around 120 pieces , is structured into different thematic areas that range from baroque exuberance to illustrated simplicity. Among the institutions that have collaborated with loans of pieces are the National Prado Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, the National Museum of Decorative Arts and the Royal Botanical Garden. The exhibition route is chronological, with cross sections that address the training of designers, the development of textile techniques and advances in botany.

  • The Forest of Furies: Vibrant and fantastic decorative motifs from the 18th century.
  • A Naturalistic Still Life: Naturalistic representations of large flowers and fruits.
  • The Line of Beauty: The refinement of the Rococo style with stylized floral motifs.
  • The Flowers of Enlightenment: The influence of Enlightenment ideas on the simplification of floral motifs.
  • Gardens of the East: The influence of the Indians and oriental motifs in Europe.
  • A Country Party: The genre of the fête galante and the idealization of life in the country.
  • The Return of Spring: The recurrence of floral motifs throughout the history of fashion.

"Dressing a Garden" not only celebrates the beauty and diversity of floral motifs in fashion, but also vindicates the study of creative and technical processes as a fundamental part of understanding the phenomenon of fashion. The exhibition will be open to the public from May 23 to September 29, 2024 at the Costume Museum, offering an enriching experience for all lovers of fashion and cultural history.