Art, Fashion, and The Resnick

"As our lives become even more virtual and fleeting, it's imperative that we have art as an anchor, and after the daily electronic recounting of the real-time horrors of people doing terrible things to one another, we can renew our faith in mankind while viewing man's highest achievements on display at a museum like LACMA." ~Lynda Resnick

Image via Sarahreports.com

The much anticipated and much talked about Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion opens to the public on Oct. 2. It is the second gallery building on the LACMA campus and designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, one of the world's most sought-after museum architects. Funded by billionaire philanthropists Lynda and Stewart  Resnick (they own POM juice drink and Fiji Water), this $54 million exhibiion hall will serve as a stunning place to showcase rotating and traveling art exhibits.

Image from the NY Times

The grand opening will feature three exhibits: Olmec: Colossal Masterworks of Ancient Mexico, Eye for the Sensual: Selections from the Resnick Collection, and Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915.

I am, of course, most excited to see Eye for the Sensual which includes eighty-five European paintings and sculptures from the personal collection of Stewart and Lynda Resnick (I could dedicate an entire post to this amazing woman, she is fabulous and so remarkable). I am so anxious to see its important eighteenth-century French paintings—including works by François Boucher, Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun (she has the portrait of Marie~Antoinette with the Rose, Versailles houses a later version of this portrait), Jean-Honoré Fragonard (my fave), Nicolas Lancret, and Hubert Robert. I am also looking forward to seeing the fashion exhibit.

"The exhibition will tell the story of fashion's aesthetic and technical development from the Age of Enlightenment to World War I. It will examine the sweeping changes that occurred in fashionable dress spanning a period of over two hundred years, with a fascinating look at the details of luxurious textiles, exacting tailoring techniques, and lush trimmings. Highlights will include an eighteenth-century man's vest intricately embroidered with powerful symbolic messages relevant to the French Revolution; an evening mantle with silk embroidery, glass beads, and ostrich feathers designed by French couturier Émile Pingat (active 1860-96); and spectacular three-piece suits and gowns worn at the royal courts of Europe." LACMA

I feel so honored and lucky to have aquired tickets to the opening weekend andI am so looking forward to going and being part of a historic moment for art in Los Angeles. My husband and I are taking the little Prince and the countdown begins!

If you are interested in going LACMA is hosting community days where you can get free tickets online.