And now for the shoes. While I didn’t find the latest PEM blockbuster material exhibition Shoes: Pleasure and Pain to be particularly probing, it was definitely aesthetically pleasing, and I enjoyed the insights into the production and collection of shoes. For me, the other exhibition themes of transformation, status and seduction did not seem quite as well-developed as those of creation and obsession. The cumulative presentation focuses on the extreme rather than the mundane, and on the colorful rather than the neutral, and thus is tailor (cobbler?)-made for social media. I kept thinking that I had seen it before, and then I realized I just missed it at the Victoria & Albert Museum when I was in London last winter, but must have absorbed a lot of the publicity when planning my trip. Two minor comments: 1) I was really happy to see a high-heeled King Charles II rather than the usual Louis XIV, Sun/Shoe king (after all, Charles II was a tall man whose shoes were a choice of fashion while the much-shorter Louis XIV’s heels were partly an invention of necessity); and 2) Loved the creative use of shoe boxes, and our opportunity to “peak” into the closets of some local collectors.So what’s next? We have seen myriad garments, hats and now shoes: perhaps purses or gloves? Since the PEM seems to follow in line with the Victoria & Albert Museum with these types of exhibitions I went to the latter’s website to look for upcoming events, and my bet is on lingerie based on their spring show, Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear.
My highlights from Shoes: Pleasure and Pain, beginning with perspectives on Charles II’s coronation portrait by John Michael Wright, Sebastian Errazuriz’s “Heart Breaker” shoe and iconic heels from Christian Laboutin and Manolo Blahnik.
An assortment of heels, one of several Latchet shoes in the exhibition, North Shore shoes, and myriad embellishments: feathers, polka dots, pom poms, laces………………
The last part of the exhibit, on collection/obsession, was probably the most introspective, if only because it featured the collections of some local shoe lovers–and insights into how they wear/store/display their shoes. Love the last shoe “box”, which I suppose can double as an ottoman in the dressing room.
November 28th, 2016 at 8:20 am
what’s with Charles II?
November 28th, 2016 at 8:27 am
He’s wearing heels! See text.
November 28th, 2016 at 8:31 am
ah ok
November 28th, 2016 at 8:56 am
Since you allude to the idea of a show of gloves, I’ll mention a Bronte exhibit I saw in NYC many years ago where Charlotte Bronte’s gloves were on display. I knew she was short and slight, but seeing her gloves gave me a visceral realization of how tiny she was.
November 28th, 2016 at 9:00 am
When you look at ONE of these personal accouterments, and connect it to a particular person, it can be quite intimate, but a whole bunch of accessories? Not so much.
November 28th, 2016 at 9:06 am
Interesting point. Would you say that’s connected to a common problem with museums: so many exhibits can leave the viewer numb after a while? I was just noting this while visiting the Harvard Art Museum (the former Fogg, Sackler, etc.) on Saturday. After seeing the 217th painting, my interest drops off a bit.
November 28th, 2016 at 9:14 am
I can look at paintings forever, but for other things I need a really well-developed theme to tie everything together.