Pattern, Power, and Dress
Related Events
Fashion historian and Old Master paintings specialist at Christie’s New York Jonquil O’Reilly brings portraits from the English Renaissance to life, breaking down the ostentatious ensembles worn by members of the Tudor court, decoding the symbolism in their sartorial choices, and explaining the material and function of these elaborate garments and adornments.
During the volatile Tudor dynasty, England was a thriving home for the arts. An international community of artists and merchants, many of them religious refugees, navigated the high-stakes demands of royal patrons, including England’s first two reigning queens. Against the backdrop of shifting political relationships with mainland Europe, Tudor artistic patronage legitimized, promoted, and stabilized a series of tumultuous reigns, from Henry VII’s seizure of the throne in 1485 to the death of his granddaughter Elizabeth I in 1603. The Tudor courts were truly cosmopolitan, boasting the work of Florentine sculptors; German painters; Flemish weavers; and Europe’s best armorers, goldsmiths, and printers, while also contributing to the emergence of a distinctly English style. This exhibition traces the transformation of the arts in Tudor England through more than 80 objects—including iconic portraits, spectacular tapestries, manuscripts, sculpture, and armor—from both the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection and international lenders.
A catalogue accompanies the exhibition.
| $15 | Adults |
| $12 | Seniors (65 and up) College students with ID Children ages 6 to 17 |
| $10 | Adult groups (10 or more) |
| $8 | Member guests |
| FREE | CMA members Children ages 5 and under |
Docent-Led Exhibition Tours
Exhibition tours are offered at 11:15 a.m. daily, March 4 through April 30; ticket required. Select “Tour 11:15 AM” and your ticket quantity when reserving your exhibition ticket(s) and participate in the tour.
The exhibition is organized by the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in collaboration with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF). It is on view at the Met from October 10, 2022, to January 8, 2023, and at FAMSF from June 24, 2023, to September 24, 2023.
This exhibition traces the transformation of the arts in Tudor England through more than 80 objects—including iconic portraits, spectacular tapestries, manuscripts, sculpture, and armor—from both the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection and international lenders.