While it took art beyond gallery walls, it also ensured that it remained an aspirational ideal — always desirable, always out of the reach of the masses. 2 min read May 7, 2026 06:20 AM IST First published on: May 7, 2026 at 06:20 AM IST One could almost imagine the ghosts of the Medici patrons applauding from the balustrade as stars swept up at this year’s Met Gala in New York. Supermodel Heidi Klum came dressed as the Veiled Vestal, a 19th-century Raffaelle Monti sculpture of a priestess of the Roman goddess Vesta. Actor Julianne Moore turned into John Singer Sargent’s Madame X in a custom Bottega Veneta gown, one shoulder strap slipping down in a faithful rendition. Filmmaker Karan Johar wore Raja Ravi Varma on his sleeves: His custom Manish Malhotra outfit featured a cape with scenes from the artist’s Hamsa Damayanti and Kadambari. The theme for the evening was “fashion is art”, and the annual fundraiser turned the body into an exhibition space — grandiloquent and whimsical.…