By Judy Carmack Bross
Chrisian Dior. Credit: Paul Strecker, Christian Dior, huile sur toile, 1928. By courtesy of the Paul Strecker Foundation, Mainz. Collection Christian Dior.
“Christian Dior was such an innovator. When he emerges with the revolutionary ‘New Look’ in 1947, he really set the bar so high. He learned to use the press in new areas, being the first to invite television to cover the runway. He was always radical and fresh.” Matthew Yokobosky, Senior Curator of Fashion and Material Culture at the Brooklyn Museum.
Speaking April 9 on Christian Dior’s First 20 Collections, the Brooklyn Museum’s Matthew Yokobosky will launch the much-anticipated Symposium on the Arts of France at the Alliance Française of Chicago. On May 14, Gloria Groom, Winton Green Curator, the Art Institute of Chicago, will present the intriguing Gustave Caillebotte, subject of the Art Institute exhibition running June 29-October 5. Stuart Dyer, founder of Ladybug Vintage LLC, highlights the evolution of the House of Dior’s jewelry designs on May 21. On June 4, Iris Moon, Associate Curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, situates French porcelain within the broader context of luxury during the French Revolution. Dyer will be leading the Q and A session following Yokobosky’s opening presentation.
“When we began to think about a theme for this year’s series, we knew we had to meet the high standard set by last year’s program on Yves Saint Laurent. Our goal wasn’t to top it, but rather to offer something equally captivating. We are delighted with the way this series has taken shape. Once again, we are fortunate to have top experts in their fields guide us and offer such insights,” Mary Ellen Connellan, the Alliance’s Executive Director, told us.
The Alliance’s Director of Special Programs, Conery Hoffman, added:
“The thought of exploring the revolutionary ideas, figures, and events that shaped the history of French art and culture emerged. Under this umbrella, we could broaden our focus and integrate figures like Christian Dior, Gustave Caillebotte, as well as incorporate the shift in luxury after the fall of the monarchy. Each of these stories, though seemingly different, explores how change, both political and cultural, reshaped French society, leaving lasting impacts on art, fashion, and luxury”
Yokobosky, who was named Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite in 2023 by the President of France, for “showcasing French fashion” which reflects “that France is truly a land of innovation,” anticipates being with an audience with a passion for the French culture. He spoke with us recently.
Matthew Yokobosky, Senior Curator of Fashion and Material Culture at the Brooklyn Museum who will speak April 9 at the Alliance Francaise on Dior’s early years.
“After I did the David Bowie retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum for a man so radical in the world of rock and roll, I wanted to find someone equally revolutionary in fashion itself,” he said. “During World War II fabric was rationed and then afterwards, here was Dior with an endless supply of fabric. Fashion went from Joan Crawford shoulders to the hourglass figure. I will be giving an overview of his 20 shows, two a year from the New Look of 1947 to his death in 1957.
“Like Picasso, there is always something more you want to know about Dior.”
Gloria Groom, Winton Green Curator, The Art Institute of Chicago
Drawing from research and loans of the upcoming Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World exhibition at the Art Institute, Groom takes a closer look at the artist, his achievements during his lifetime and his oppositional relationship to the Impressionists’ subjects and techniques. She received the title of Chevalier in the Légion d’honneur in 2016 awarded by the Republic of France among her many accomplishments around the world. From her recent trip to China Groom told us more about Caillebotte who is once so familiar from his Paris, Rainy Day, but elusive personally as well.
“That is what makes this exhibition so significant and fascinating. The curatorial team, from the Musée d’Orsay and the J.P. Getty Museum, have uncovered lots of new biographical material that helps us to better understand his paintings—why they are so distinct from those of his impressionist colleagues—and why they are so reflective of this close circle of family and friends.”
Gustave Caillebotte. Paris Street; Rainy Day, 1877. The Art Institute of Chicago, Charles H. and Mary F. Worcester Collection.
“Unlike others from the Impressionist circle, Gustave Caillebotte was comfortably well off and could have enjoyed painting for painting’s sake. He also could have followed a more traditional route of preparing paintings for exhibition in the official state-sponsored Salon, which is where more successful artists got their start and clientele. Instead after not being selected on his first and only attempt to have a work at that same Salon, he joined forces with the group of progressive artists who came to be known as the Impressionists. Interestingly, he painted very close to home, usually 10-15 minutes from his residence, and he never felt the need to estrange himself from his upper middle-class roots. Additionally, his family history and their dynamics greatly impacted his choice of subjects.”
Gustave Caillebotte. Boating Party, about 1877–78. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, Purchased thanks to the exclusive patronage of LVMH, 2022. Photo courtesy of GrandPalaisRmn (Musée d’Orsay) / Sophie Crépy.
What was his relationship with the Impressionists?
“Caillebotte entered their orbit a few years after they had begun their alternative exhibitions and was their steadfast supporter. He collected –and paid for–heir paintings, he sponsored their exhibitions, and he supported them through his friendship, especially with Monet and Renoir. The latter was his estate executor and responsible for the paintings he collected by his Impressionist colleagues, entering the French museums, and what is now the Musée d’Orsay, after his premature death at 45 in 1894.
We asked Groom to tell us about the upcoming Art Institute exhibition.
“We really wanted to focus on his many paintings of the figures in his life, particularly the men in his life, and give names and identities to these people. Caillebotte had many passions, as an artist and collector, but also an avid gardener, sportsman and boat racer (participating in regattas for which he designed his own and other boats), and even stamp collecting. The exhibition includes 70 paintings, 40 drawings, and photographs from family albums as well as other biographical materials from his military experience and involvement with the Paris Yacht Club. More than any other exhibition to date, the exhibition gives a more complete picture of the artist and his time, and why he matters to us today.”
We will be witing more about the two final Symposium lectures but note the outstanding speakers and their topics.
Stuart Dyer at La Galerie Dior
Stuart Dyer, jewelry scholar and founder in 2009 of Ladybug Vintage LLC, a finely curated collection of high-end vintage designer jewelry and accessories, shared her topic for May 21.
1958 Christian Dior choker necklace made by Roger Scemama, collection of La Galerie Dior.
“From the moment Christian Dior introduced his revolutionary New Look in 1947, the house’s jewelry became an essential extension of its couture vision of femininity and opulence. The jewelry not only complimented the clothing collections, but it helped to define an era of elegance and sophistication. My presentation will explore this relationship as well as look at the continued evolution of the House of Dior jewelry designs throughout the decades.”
1968 Christian Dior brooch made by Gripoix, collection of La Galerie Dior
Following her program, Dyer will offer an Alliance boutique of her vintage treasures including rare vintage Christian Dior pieces.
The Metropolitan Museum’s Iris Moon.
Iris Moon, Associate curator in the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, will be the final speaker June 4.Along with curatorial work at The Met, where she is currently organizing the exhibition Monstrous Beauty: A Feminist Revision of Chinoiserie, she has taught at Cooper Union and is an author and editor.
When Louis XVI was guillotined in 1793, his death marked the end of the monarchy in France and severed the vast networks of luxury. Royal possessions were dispersed and destroyed, but many of the individuals responsible for creating material finery found ways to survive regime change and the Reign of Terror. Moon will present a biscuit or unglazed porcelain sculpture recently acquired by The Met that depicts an allegory of nature, pointing to luxury’s role in negotiating the complex politics of the French Revolution at the end of the eighteenth century. Known as “La Nature”, it was made of hard-paste porcelain at the Sèvres porcelain factory in 1794 and shows the company’s response to the French Revolution.
Guests may register for individual or all programs, all held at the Alliance at 54 West Chicago Avenue. Lectures can also be viewed online.
For Further information visit: af-chicago.org
