Well Met
Back in September of 2019, before we all found ourselves in the midst of a global pandemic, the Gravel & Gold team was in New York to spread the word about our latest clothing collection. Though we were there to work, we made time to absorb as much art and culture (and food and wine) as possible. Busy mornings turned into productive afternoons, long evenings gave way to indulgent nights, and after a couple of weeks of mixing business and pleasure, we were exhausted.
On the last day of our trip, we made our way uptown to Washington Heights to visit the Met Cloisters museum. Wandering the halls and rooms of the cool, dimly lit monastery, we were surprised and delighted by the extensive collection of medieval art and craft.
The objects on display had an elemental style that appealed to us at G&G: intricately carved wooden architectural accents, woven tapestries, ornamental ceramics, surrealistic blown-glass vessels, bejeweled belts, rings, and brooches—objects created to be used, loved, worn, and shared. The serious skill required to produce these things was evident, yet their appearance was imbued with a sense of playfulness, of exploration, and experimentation. Admiring these pre-industrial objects, we marveled at the evidence of the human hand—the brush strokes, the stitching, the markings of the tools of the makers.
We were moved to tears by the unicorn tapestries we’ve long admired in photographs. Seeing them in person was like meeting a long-lost, much-beloved great aunt who you’ve only heard about in stories and whose presence is better than you could have ever even imagined.
As we left the museum and re-entered the busy city, we strolled through a lovely garden sprouting plants used during the Medieval Period for food, medicine, art and craft, and magic.
Our exhaustion replaced by inspiration, we went home restored, inspired by the patterns, symbols, jokes, and enchanted by the animals, angels, and demons that adorn Medieval Art and created our Fall 2020 print.
Drawing Exercise
Drawing exercise
Cotton yardage printed with Well Met