Stories and Methods of Textiles in Sculptures: Haute Couture Inspiration

The depiction of textiles in sculpture often highlights an artist’s technical mastery. Through my tour, I wanted to experiment with a variety of sculptures that use textiles for reasons beyond a display of skill; instead, they tell a story or reveal a deeper meaning. Additionally, I wanted to show modern haute couture pieces that look to sculptural methods for inspiration to also present a story and deliver a deeper meaning. The works I chose were Christ Bound (1620s) attributed to François Duquesnoy, a 19th-century Italian work entitled Veiled Bust (“The Veiled Nun”) (c. 1863), and Paul Manship’s Flight of Night (1918). From staining methods on the drapery of the figure in Christ Bound to the suggestion of anonymity conveyed by the veils in the Veiled Bust, to the unreal structure of drapery used in Flight of Night, we start to see the influence that textiles have both in these sculptures and in what we choose to wear on our bodies. These sculptures were compared to the work of fashion designers including Daniel Arsham and Iris van Herpen.

Architecture major, Howard University
Howard University Undergraduate Intern, 2023–2025

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