HTSI Magazine delivers a complex and utterly spectacular fashion story ‘Night at the Museum’, shot in the restricted-access conservation rooms at the top of London’s National Gallery. What a magnificent visual feast for our eyes and imaginations.

The National Gallery is a museum funded by the British people, not inherited collections from wealthy donors. In advance of its 200th anniversary celebrations [ka NG200] kicking off on May 10, 2024, HTSI features this sublime fashion story shot by Laurence Ellis [IG] with models Jordan Whittingham, Louis Mercurol, Onyinyechi Chijioke, and Rachael Carruthers.

Stylist Louise Ford includes luxury clothes that add yet more visual texture against the artwork and interior design of the space — finessing the potential for visual cacophony into imagery with great sophistication and balance.

I do not remember ever being fixated on what light fixtures add to artistic imagery in a non-home interiors story. I don’t remember noting the design of said fixture and the drape of the neckline of the Louis Vuitton wool and silk dress worn by the model sitting under it. Many of these events happen unconsciously in the stylist’s mind, perhaps observed or staged by the creative director and/or the photographer. The level of detail management in these images is staggering.

One of the most famous paintings scheduled to be on display in 2024 is ‘The Rokeby Venus’ by Velázquez. I was sick a couple days ago, reading the NYT article about climate activists representing ‘Just Stop Oil’ attacking the painting with hammers. HTSI references the incident as well.

Typically, activists damage the frames or throw paint on the glass protecting the painting. This time the activists appear to have done serious damage to the painting. It was badly slashed seven times in 1914, connected to the suffragette movement.

I support the activists’ demands of dislodging fossil fuel companies from their role as museum patrons in exchange for rich people turning down the heat; and my understanding is that BP is largely absent now in Britain after ending a 27-year sponsorship of the British Museum.

Taking hammers to artwork all over Europe is unsettling, but I understand many of you probably support these actions, given the peril of our environment.

The event reminded me of the Taliban blowing up the 6th century Buddhas of Bamiyan statues in Afghanistan in March 2001. They were among the most revered statues in the world, and I’ve never recovered from the Taliban calling them ‘idols’ and blowing them up. And then the Saudi terrorists blew up lower Manhattan a few months later.

Sorry for the digression, but life is comprised of so many intersecting events. In a yes or no activist world, life as a biosystem hasn’t learned to be binary in its moral or ethical complications and contradictions.

I believe this is only the second time Laurence Ellis has appeared on AOC. This first was also a HTSI fashion story in December 2021: Laurence Ellis Captures 'Celebrations' with London's Global Tribes for HTSI Magazine.

What talent lies before us tonight: inspiring and spectacular beauty from this cast of creatives. Bravo! ~ Anne