This illustrated lecture explores the evolution of late medieval and early Renaissance fashions in Northern Europe, from the "Fashion Revolution" of 1330 to the accession to the French throne of King Francis I in 1515. The talk discusses mainly clothing of France and Flanders, with the occasional excursion into neighboring England, Holland, and Germany. The lecture will also discuss how, during this period, artists used clothing as a kind of code to the social status and moral character of the people they depicted. Mr. Wieck will also touch on the possible influences that war and other political upheavals may have played on the history of the fashion in this turbulent time. The talk will capitalize on the exhibition Fashion in the Middle Ages, as well as the current show Mr. Wieck curated at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York, Illuminating Fashion: Dress in the Art of Medieval France and the Netherlands.

Read a Q&A with Roger Wieck on our blog, The Iris.