14 Iconic Art References We Spotted On The 2026 Met Gala Red Carpet

The 2026 Met Gala red carpet has officially wrapped up, with art and fashion nerds now wondering whether the celebrity guests truly fit this year’s dress code of “Fashion is Art”. 

 

The dress code, for those who followed it, saw some guests take inspiration from famous artworks, paintings and sculptures throughout history — so we’re sifting through each art reference we spotted on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum this morning. 

Let’s whack on our hoity-toity Miranda Priestly glasses and judge the A-listers from the comfort of our trackies, shall we?

Hunter Schafer

Euphoria star Hunter Schafer wore a custom Prada outfit that beautifully referenced Gustav Klimt’s 1912-1913 painting, Mäda Primavesi. 

(Image: Gustav Klimt/The Met)

(Image: Getty Images)

Rachel Zegler

Rachel Zegler’s blindfolded 2026 Met Gala look channeled Paul Delaroche’s 1833 painting The Execution of Lady Jane Grey.

(Image: The National Gallery, London)

(Image: Getty Images)

Heidi Klum

Costume queen Heidi Klum did not disappoint with a Mike Marino-designed look inspired by 19th-century sculptures like Giuseppe Sanmartino‘s Veiled Christ and Raffaele Monti‘s Veiled Vestal.

(Image: Getty Images)

(Image: Sansevero Chapel Museum)

Amy Sherald

Artist Amy Sherald tasked Thome Browne with referencing her very own painting, 2014’s Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance).

(Image: Getty Images)

(Image: Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery)

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Julianne Moore & Lauren Sanchez

Three 2026 Met Gala guests referenced John Singer Sargent’s 1884 portrait, Madame X. 

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Jullianne Moore gracefully honoured the painting with their looks — and Lauren Sanchez… was there!

(Image: The Met)

(Image: Getty Images)

(Image: Getty Images)

Madonna

Pop icon Madonna’s 2026 Met Gala look was inspired by Leonora Carrington’s 1945 surrealist oil painting,The Temptation of St. Anthony. Fragment II.

(Image: ArtHive)

(Image: Getty Images)

Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett did the thing with a pink gown designed by Prabal Gurung in homage to Girl in Pink Dress, the 1927 painting by Laura Wheeler Waring.

(Image: The Met)

(Image: Getty Images)

Nichapat Suphap

Michelangelo’s iconic The Creation of Adam got its time in the Met spotlight via Thai influencer Nichapat Suphap’s handsy dress.

(Image: Getty Images)

(Image: Sistine Chapel)

Kendall Jenner

Also honouring sculptures was Kendall Jenner in a Zac Posen-designed look that recalled the Grecian masterpiece that is The Winged Victory of Samothrace.

(Image: The Louvre)

(image: Getty Images)

Kylie Jenner

Arriving in a naked bustier by Schiaparelli, Kylie Jenner delivered a head-turning look that channelled the Venus de Milo, which was originally sculpted by Alexandros of Antioch.

(Image: Getty Images)

(Image: The Louvre)

Charli xcx

Would it really be an art-themed event without a Vincent Van Gogh shoutout? With its simple floral detailing, Charli xcx’s Met Gala look referenced the famous artist’s 1889 artwork Irises. If it were me, I would’ve worn Van Gogh’s missing ear. 

(Image: The Met)

(Image: Getty Images)

Ben Platt

Actor Ben Platt wore a graphic suit that referenced A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, an 1886 painting by Georges Seura.

(Image: The Met)

(Image: Getty Images)

Luke Evans

In an homage to one of this writer’s favourite artists, Luke Evans went full Tom of Finland muse with his head-to-toe leather suit and hat. See, the men can do more than just suits!

(Image: Tom of Finland)

(Image: Getty Images)

Emma Chamberlain

In a looser ode, Emma Chamberlain nodded to the colour palettes and brushstrokes of iconic painter Erin Hanson. 

(Image: Erin Hanson)

(Image: Getty Images)

Troye Sivan

Wearing jeans to the Met Gala might be a faux pas, but with his look inspired by the celeb muses of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, pop star Troye Sivan pulled it off.

(Image: Robert Mapplethorpe)

(Image: Getty Images)

Gracie Abrams

Singer Gracie Abrams joined Schafer in channelling BGKE (Big Gustav Klimt Energy) at the 2026 Met Gala. For her version, Abrams nodded to Klimt’s 1907 oil painting Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I. 

(Image: Neue Galerie New York)

(Image: Getty Images)

Hudson Williams

For his Met Gala debut, Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams took inspiration from The Matador Saluting, an 1867 artwork by Édouard Manet. 

(Image: The Met)

(Image: Getty Images)

Those were all the references we spotted at this year’s artsy Met Gala. Why do I have the sudden urge to whip out the oil paint I bought on a whim in lockdown? Actually, maybe i’ll start with crayons.

Lead images: Getty Images and The Met

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