Paris Journal: More Gobelins par Nature

The gallery at the Gobelins is in the front of the campus of the Gobelins tapestry studios. The tapestries which bear the name Gobelins woven for the government of France are woven on site. There is a studio tour offered which is wonderful. I believe the tour is still given only in French, but it is well worth it to see the working areas of the Gobelins manufactory. 

Gobelins tapestry is typically defined as high-warp or haute-lisse tapestry woven on a vertical loom, but the campus also has a studio which weaves low-warp or basse-lisse tapestry and another which weaves pile carpets or savonnerie.

View of the Gobelins campus from the rear windows of the second floor of the gallery.

As you enter the Gobelins campus. (I want to say that this is a statue of Colbert, but don't hold me to it).

Christophe Cuzin, Le jardin des Gobelins, Gobelins tapestry, 2012, wool, H: 2.48 m x L 1.75 m. 

When I went on the Gobelins tour in the spring of 2007, a version of this Christophe Cuzin design of a pixelated view of the garden at Gobelins was in the process of being woven. Since then, we were told that many versions have been woven, all with slightly different views into the garden. The one in the exhibit was completed in 2012, has a sett of 5 ends per centimeter and uses 35 colors.

Le jardin des Gobelins, detail.

A hem visible on the back of the Le jardin des Gobelins tapestry, you can sort of see the logo with the bobbin.

This lovely Milva Maglione-designed tapestry, Vent de printemps dan l'apres midi (Spring wind in the afternoon), was in the dark stairwell before the entrance of the second floor gallery. What a shame since it was so poorly lit and couldn't be admired properly. I took photos anyway and have adjusted the brightness once I got the images home. Particularly striking and effective is the thin line running diagonally through the field in the tapestry. The line is woven in a shinier yarn, as is the "G" in the logo. The sett is 3.2 ends per centimeter and uses 6 colors.

 Vent de printemps dans l'apres midi, Milva Maglione, Gobelins tapestry, 1985, wool,  H: 1.95 m x L: 2.56 m.

Vent de printemps dans l'apres midi, detail.

Vent de printemps dans l'apres midi, detail of signature/logo.

Vent de printemps dans l'apres midi, detail.

This 1989 Beauvais tapestry from Mario Prassinos really must be admired from a distance to see the trees that the splotches of color represent. It is a masterful monochromatic piece that uses 11 colors of wool. The tapestry is listed as an "essai" or study. That's some study! The sett is 3.8 ends per centimeter. There are two Prassinos the exhibit, his Parc ou Verdure Contemporaine is the other tapestry, so large that my photo just didn't come out. His designs are like Rorschach tests of tapestry.

Les trois arbres, Mario Prassinos, Beauvais tapestry, wool, H: 3.01 m x L: 1.56 m.

Les trois arbres, detail.

Les trois arbres, detail.

Verdure, Samuel Buri, Beauvais tapestry, wool, 1992.

Another Beauvais tapestry, Verdure designed by Samuel Buri, was so large I could hardly get a photo of the entire piece. A riot of 64 colors, the wool tapestry is sett at 5 ends per centimeter and is 3 meters square.

Verdure, Samuel Buri, detail.

Verdure, Samuel Buri, detail.

A real discovery was Paul-Armand Gette's L'embellie. a wool and silk Gobelins tapestry. Such beautiful use of color and framing. It is woven with 25 colors at a sett of 4.8 ends per centimeter.

L'embellie, Paul-Armand Gette, Gobelins tapestry, wool and silk, H: 2.07 m x L: 2.66 m.

The nuance of color is so striking. L'embellie means a clear spell or beauty revealed following rain. These details show how the little things really add up to a sense of atmosphere.

L'embellie, detail.

L'embellie, detail.

L'embellie, detail.

L'embellie, detail.

Ah, Jacques Monory, and his seductive blues. The exhibition ended with this version of Alice in Wonderland by Monory. 45 colors in wool and silk were used in the tapestry at a sett of 5 ends per centimeter. The wool and silk combine to create the sumptuous world of Alice. 

Velvet jungle no. 1,  Jacques Monory, Gobelins tapestry, wool and silk, H: 2.25 m x L: 1.85 m, 2012. 

Velvet jungle no. 1, detail.

Velvet jungle no. 1, detail.

I have many, many more photos but they simply don't do the exquisite works justice. It is such a fantastic exhibit and there are more amazing tapestries in it than I've been able to show here.

The Mobilier National website is a great resource on the show. Please try to go see it in person!