silk

“The pink silks, bronze golds and the upholstery, it all suits Glinda. And the bubble becomes a hot-air balloon — the Wizard’s technology.”

Mapplethorpe genuflects at the altar of that icon with a platinum portrait of Warhol, backed by a halo of light and surrounded by silk panels that form a cross.

Autochromes possess the light-dappled depth of Impressionist paintings, the powdery precision of pointillism, the honest blushes of butterfly cheeks, and the palpable textures of gleaming silks and gilded velvets.

There were fancy dresses made of silk and velvet and chiffon, men’s breeches and brocade vests, miles of taffeta and endless lengths of ribbon, and countless boxes of tiaras and leather slippers.

Penelope sat on the love seat, which was unfortunate, as it was upholstered in ivory silk that had been unblemished until that moment.