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Gilbert Adrian
1942–52 · silk, metal · Costume Institute
African culture was the converging ground for several of Adrian's design themes, including animals. He had become fascinated with Africa at the age of twelve, after seeing a film documentary on the subject. Keenly interested in the cultures of the Sudan and the Belgian Congo, Adrian painted scenes from his imagination before going there with his wife, Janet Gaynor, on a nonhunting safari in 1949. Created three years before he visited Africa, this dress shows a cheetah ironically slung over the shoulder of the flamboyantly striped zebra.
- Artist
- Gilbert Adrian
- Date
- 1942–52
- Medium
- silk, metal
- Culture
- American
- Department
- Costume Institute
- Credit line
- Gift of Patricia Pastor and Barry Friedman, 2012
