Heavenly Bodies Was the Most Popular Exhibit in the History of the Met—Here’s Why That’s a Problem
…viewer misses that they’re also about ambition and corruption. The Piux IX cape was the largest and most elaborate piece on display, and quite impressive with its detailed embroidery. But there’s no indication that it was commissioned by Maria Anna Carolina of Austria to bribe the pope for political favor; nor that Piux IX was one of the most authoritarian leaders in church history. Religious clothing matters when we understand it in a particular…
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