The Best Artistic References At The 2026 Met Gala
Every year, the Met Gala asks celebrities to dress to a theme. Most of the time, “dressing to a theme” means a mood board and a willing designer. But this year’s “Fashion is Art” dress code — tied to the Met’s Costume Art exhibition — demanded something more literal: an actual artistic reference, executed with enough intent to hold up to scrutiny. Luckily, a lot of them delivered.
From Harlem Renaissance paintings to 17th-century Baroque masters, the 2026 carpet became a crash course in art history. We’ve rounded up the looks that genuinely earned their references, explained what they’re actually pointing to, and let the art speak for itself.
Madonna
Wearing a custom Saint Laurent look inspired by Leonora Carrington’s painting The Temptation of St. Anthony, Fragment II (1945).Photo: Courtesy of Theo Wargo / Getty Images
Gracie Abrams
Wearing custom Chanel by Matthieu Blazy inspired by Klimt’s “Portrait of Adele Block-Bauer I” (1907).Photo: Courtesy of Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images
Hunter Schafer
In a custom Prada look inspired by Gustav Klimt’s 1912 painting “Mäda Primavesi.”Photo: Courtesy of Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
Venus Williams
In a custom Swarovski gown directly referencing Robert Pruitt’s “Venus Williams, Double Portrait” (2022), commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery.Photo: Courtesy of Michael Loccisano / Getty Images
Mona Patel
Wearing a custom Dolce & Gabanna Alta Moda design inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man” (1490) and the Renaissance philosophy of fusing art and science.Photo: Courtesy of Mona Patel / Instagram
Angela Bassett
Wears a custom Prabal Gurung gown inspired by Harlem Renaissance artist, Laura Wheeler Waring’s “Girl in Pink Dress” (1927).Photo: Courtesy of Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
Rachel Zegler
Wearing custom Prabal Gurung referencing “The Execution of Lady Jane Grey” (1833).Photo: Courtesy of Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
Anne Hathaway
In custom Michael Kors Collection, hand-painted by artist Peter McGough and inspired by ancient Greek pottery, with John Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn” (1819) as a starting point.Photo: Courtesy of Kevin Mazur / Getty Images
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