Heidi Klum channels Raffaelle Monti's Veiled Vestal at Met Gala 2026

At the 2026 Met Gala, held on the first Monday of May, Heidi Klum transformed into Raffaelle Monti's 1847 marble sculpture 'The Veiled Vestal' (La dama velada). The event, themed 'Costume Art,' invited celebrities to use their bodies to inspire and be inspired by art, as curated by Andrew Bolton of the Costume Institute. Klum underwent extensive makeup sessions to recreate the sculpture's translucent veil. Other notable attendees included Bad Bunny portraying his future 60-year-old self, Madonna paying homage to Leonora Carrington, and Hunter Schafer and Gracie Abrams dressed as Gustav Klimt paintings. Monti's sculpture, commissioned by William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, after a visit to Monti's Milan studio in 1846, was completed in April 1847. It was first exhibited at Chiswick House in London and moved to Chatsworth House in 1999. The work depicts a Vestal Virgin, priestess of the Roman goddess Vesta, with a partially veiled face, embodying mystery and ethereal femininity. Monti, who died in 1881, was known for his technical skill in rendering transparent fabrics in marble.