Ensemble
Unknown Artist
ca. 1790
Medium
a) silk; b,c) silk, linen
Classification
Ensemble
Culture
French
Department
Costume Institute
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 2003
Accession Number
2003.45a–c
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of late 18th-century French fashion with this exquisite *Ensemble*, crafted around 1790. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, this multi-part garment set—comprising silk (part a) and silk with linen (parts b and c)—exemplifies the opulent textile artistry of pre-Revolutionary France. Acquired through the Irene Lewisohn Bequest in 2003, it invites visitors to explore how clothing reflected the era's social splendor and shifting tastes. The approximate date places this ensemble at a pivotal moment: the eve of the French Revolution, when lavis...