This is such a great and enlightening review. Thank you for writing it. I also recently wrote a story for ARTnews on the depiction of the Black dandy in art over the past 300 years. I write about the Roch Aza painting you feature on image 5, which depicts an enslaved boy from Martinique to the Rohan-Guéméné family of France. I hope I get to visit New York before the Superfine exhibition ends https://www.artnews.com/art-news/artists/superfine-met-museum-costume-institute-black-dandy-1234740801/
Thank you so much for sharing. Seeing the Roch Aza painting was so shocking to me because of how young the boy was. I’ll give your essay a read. I hope you get to see the exhibit too!
Interesting read!! When i saw her on tv, I understood doechiis LV on her cheek more like a tribal scarification mark, empowering, bringing ritual practice to pop culture… now i see it differently as your article gave me the context
I love all the different interpretations of it. I buy the ritual practice aesthetic, even though it feels odd to conflate that with a French fashion house. What did you think about her overall look?
I loved this piece, thank you so much for writing it. It brought to mind for me Zamor, who was kept from the time he was a child by Madame du Barry — herself considered tacky and ostentatious in her displays of wealth. He attended to her at Versailles and lived with her for years after Louis XV died and she was exiled from court. He (very suitably) hated her and was the one to turn her in to the Revolutionaries who sent her to the guillotine.
wow another story i had no idea of!! learning lots this MET. i read that he died in poverty and was buried in Paris. This was the case for a lot of dandified slaves… doesn’t seem that far off from how ALT died with very little to his name :’(
The Chiffon Trenches was an incredible but devastating read for this very reason. ALT deserved so much more from his contemporaries and his inclusion in Superfine is a great start though I fear those contemporaries *coughAW* will think it’s enough. Even more tragic are the — I’m sure — numerous others whose names and stories were lost to time, it’s unfair that there’s even still room to think « well, at least we have paintings and a record of Zamor’s name »
this was as thoughtful and honest as i expected it to be. may we get to read your observations forever and ever.
AYAN 🖤🙏🏿
This is such a great and enlightening review. Thank you for writing it. I also recently wrote a story for ARTnews on the depiction of the Black dandy in art over the past 300 years. I write about the Roch Aza painting you feature on image 5, which depicts an enslaved boy from Martinique to the Rohan-Guéméné family of France. I hope I get to visit New York before the Superfine exhibition ends https://www.artnews.com/art-news/artists/superfine-met-museum-costume-institute-black-dandy-1234740801/
Thank you so much for sharing. Seeing the Roch Aza painting was so shocking to me because of how young the boy was. I’ll give your essay a read. I hope you get to see the exhibit too!
Interesting read!! When i saw her on tv, I understood doechiis LV on her cheek more like a tribal scarification mark, empowering, bringing ritual practice to pop culture… now i see it differently as your article gave me the context
I love all the different interpretations of it. I buy the ritual practice aesthetic, even though it feels odd to conflate that with a French fashion house. What did you think about her overall look?
I learned so much from this! A very thoughtful review, Brendon <3.
Awww thanks for reading Cassidy :)
I loved this piece, thank you so much for writing it. It brought to mind for me Zamor, who was kept from the time he was a child by Madame du Barry — herself considered tacky and ostentatious in her displays of wealth. He attended to her at Versailles and lived with her for years after Louis XV died and she was exiled from court. He (very suitably) hated her and was the one to turn her in to the Revolutionaries who sent her to the guillotine.
wow another story i had no idea of!! learning lots this MET. i read that he died in poverty and was buried in Paris. This was the case for a lot of dandified slaves… doesn’t seem that far off from how ALT died with very little to his name :’(
The Chiffon Trenches was an incredible but devastating read for this very reason. ALT deserved so much more from his contemporaries and his inclusion in Superfine is a great start though I fear those contemporaries *coughAW* will think it’s enough. Even more tragic are the — I’m sure — numerous others whose names and stories were lost to time, it’s unfair that there’s even still room to think « well, at least we have paintings and a record of Zamor’s name »
I can’t believe a piece THIS amazing isn’t behind a paywall 🤍 Beautiful
thank you Maria!!