Exposition à venir

The Fabric of the Artist

Full price: 15€
Reduced price: 12€

Following the rediscovery of Antoine Bourdelle’s clothing in 2020, the Bourdelle Museum explores, in a new exhibition, the self-representations and the staging strategies of artists through their attire, from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. The exhibition "The Fabric of the Artist" features little-known garments worn by iconic or lesser-known figures, both men and women (Gustav Klimt, Rosa Bonheur, Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita, Sonia Delaunay, Camille Bernier…), presented in dialogue with paintings, sculptures, graphic arts, and photographs. ​

By the end of the 19th century, while most artists posed in black attire, some painters and sculptors used their clothing to assert their membership in a group, while others appeared in smocks, overalls, or jumpsuits, embodying a new ideal of the artist at work.

Dress codes soon multiplied, fueled by a movement toward individuality. At the turn of the 20th century, the wardrobe became alternately a revolutionary manifesto, an extension of the creative act, or even an affirmation of identity: fluidity of gender and games of cross-dressing, a quest for real or imagined otherworlds, belonging or marginality. Artists carefully composed their outfits, creating recognizable silhouettes for posterity.

At the intersection of art history, sociology, and fashion, the exhibition reveals how clothing and accessories shape iconic figures, embodying the fabric of the artist. 

General curation: Ophélie Ferlier Bouat, Director of Bourdelle Museum and Chief Curator of Heritage​

Scientific curation: Lili Davenas, Curator of Paintings and Graphic Arts at Bourdelle Museum, and Valérie Montalbetti Kervella, Curator of Sculptures at Bourdelle Museum​

Scientific Advisor: Denis Bruna, Chief Curator at Musée des Arts décoratifs de Paris

With the support of Musée d'Orsay and Musée des Arts décoratifs

With the support of the Tavolozza Foundation

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