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While on the topic of the Met I wanted to share with you some of my pictures from the controversial exhibit, Heavenly Bodies ; Fashion and the Catholic Imagination. While my interest in fashion is only passing the clothes throughout the exhibit are remarkable. Most remarkable of all however are the actual papal vestments found in a (respectfully) separate gallery from the secular garments (no photos allowed).  Most extraordinary of all however is how excited people are for this exhibit; The crowds were immense. In all of my visits to the Met I have never seen crowds of people actually spending time in these medieval galleries.  People are excited for church stuff, in the 21st century,  that should be good right? Well a lot of people are complaining that an exhibit on fashion inspired by Catholicism is disrespectful.  Whatever happened to 'Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery ' or 'T here is no such thing as bad publicity '?  I found the exhibit thrill...

While at the Met to see the Versailles exhibit, this framed watercolor caught my eye. The presentation drawing by architect Ogden Codman Jr . was for the bedroom of Louise Vanderbuilt's bedroom at Hyde Park in 1898.  I wish we made such evocative drawings for our clients still today; sketch up models cannot compete with the artistry of watercolor.  Codman, of course, was the friend and co-author to Edith Wharton's 'The Decoration of Houses'. I think a monograph on this decorator's Architect is long overdue! as always - click on the image to see in greater detail

Ever since Louis XIV moved the seat of French government to Versailles  it has been a very public place full of visitors very unlike the original hunting lodge he inherited. You have your chance to see the chateau a little closer to home as Versailles has come to us.  Until July 29, 2018 the exhibit ' Visitors to Versailles ' is at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC. I visited the exhibit back in May and while it doesn't compare with the real thing it is a great introduction to the history of the storied chateaux. The palace, after the ransacking of the revolution, is still shockingly accurate to pre-revolutionary time (despite the touch of future generations). I spent a lovely day in Versailles last month and all of the historic images from the exhibit are instantly recognizable. The crowds may be rather more casually dressed these days but they still come to ogle the spectacle that is Versailles. Back in the 17th and 18th centuries your rank and dress could grant you varying ...