Lecture: Dressing like an artist. The artist and the clothing

A lecture by Ms. Annabelle Ténèze – Director of the Louvre-Lens: Dressing like an artist. The artist and the clothing, organized by the Monegasque Association for Knowledge of the Arts (AMCA), is held on Monday 13 October 2025 at 6.30 pm.

Rembrandt’s turbans, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun’s scarves, Rosa Bonheur’s trousers, Balzac’s dressing gown by Rodin, Andy Warhol’s wig, Niki de Saint Phalle’s snake dress… Do clothes make the artist?

Throughout the years, at the Louvre-Lens, art and fashion engaged in a unique dialogue through an unprecedented exhibition. From the toga to the electric dress, from ceremonial attire to overalls and work smocks, the artist’s clothing reveals not only an era and an artistic intention, but also the artist’s place in society.

This lecture will shed light on how artists have told the story of clothing—and how fashion designers, from Yves Saint Laurent to Christian Dior, have drawn inspiration from the history of art.

As a garment can be a work of art, and a work of art can be a garment, clothing is a language in its own right—one that artists have continually explored to this day.

Annabelle Ténèze has been Director of the Louvre-Lens since September 2023, where she leads the “Louvre en partage” initiative.

A graduate of the École nationale des Chartes and the Institut national du Patrimoine, she began her career in 2006 as a heritage curator responsible for the graphic arts collection at the Musée national Picasso–Paris. In 2012, she took over as Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Haute-Vienne – Château de Rochechouart. In 2017, she became General Director of Les Abattoirs, an institution that brings together the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of the City of Toulouse and the Regional Contemporary Art Fund of Occitanie Toulouse.