In terms of theme, the theme of the catalog and the theme of the exhibition complement each other. Bolton’s introduction and illustrations from William Hogarth’s 1753 essay Analysis of Beauty, provide the theoretical background for the exhibition, composed book one. The second book presents Lagerfeld’s paintings side by side with photographs commissioned by Julia Herta, a Swedish artist known for his Old Master-inspired compositions and sensitive lighting. The designer’s gestural language changes and repeats rhythms from paper to cloth throughout the exhibition, and many of the illustrations in the catalog have never been published before.
The third book brings the man The designer and his working methods are brought to life. Objects and artworks that inspired or are related to Lagerfeld’s work are also documented here. Finally, Book Four contains a biographical timeline illustration of the designer’s life.
“I have a completely abstract approach,” Lagerfeld once told his biographer, about his sketches. “I had this conceptual vision, and I put it on paper in 3D, with all the technical specifications.” The designer’s vivid imagination and penchant for fantasy didn’t hinder his love of things IRL. love. He lived within the walls of many homes, his clothes were meant to contain the body, his dreams were contained within the dimensions of a blank sheet of paper. In this sense, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty
can be seen as a dream work, as well as a work of art and scholarship.
Karl Lagerfeld: Beautiful Lines
Photo: Stuart Tyson / Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1753175317531753
