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Art Institute of Chicago opens The Divine Art of European Tapestry |
| February 11th, 2010 01:35:05 am |
CHICAGO, IL - After thirteen years of extensive, state-of-the-art conservation work, 70 monumental tapestries from the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago will be displayed in the largest tapestry exhibition ever mounted at the museum. The Divine Art: Four Centuries of European Tapestries--on view November 1, 2008 through January 4, 2009 --showcases a remarkable collection that has been in Art Institute storage for many years. Subject to one of the largest tapestry conservation projects ever undertaken by a private workshop, this exhibition presents these massive works of art at their best--dazzling the eye beyond expectation.
The European tapestry tradition originated in about 1300 in France, Belgium, Flanders, and the Duchy of Brabant (modern-day Netherlands). The churches, royal courts, and wealthy families of Europe lavished vast sums of money on tapestries to decorate the walls of castles and abbeys. Artists designed tapestries in sets, series, or "chambers," depicting biblical themes and allegories, history and mythology, and representations of daily life. These pieces retained their status as the art form of kings, as affluent Chicago families began collecting them in the early 20th century. Select grand tapestries hung in the homes of such local patricians as the Deering family, the Allerton estate, and Potter Palmer's "Rhine Castle" on Lake Shore Drive. The Art Institute was fortunate to acquire such pieces as the result of various donations, ultimately boasting a collection of nearly 100 tapestries.
The Divine Art features textile masterpieces from the 15th through the 18th centuries that are massive in scale and breathtaking in scope. Key works include a series of 14 Baroque tapestries woven in Brussels circa 1680 that tell the stories of Caesar and Cleopatra, Zenobia and Aurelian. Another highlight is the panel Autumn from Les Saisons , designed by Charles Le Brun and woven at the Royal Manufacture of the Gobelins in Paris in 1710. An early masterpiece on view is from the Netherlands, dated 1485-1525, depicting the Holy Family with the infant Christ pressing the wine of the Eucharist. The exhibition also includes a recently acquired tapestry, The Emperor Sailing from the Story of the Emperor of China, woven at the Royal Manufacture at Beauvais circa 1710. These examples illustrate the depth and importance of the Art Institute's holdings, which are recognized as one of the most magnificent textile collections in the United States.
The Art Institute, in conjunction with Yale University Press, will publish a fully-illustrated catalogue of the complete collection. Written by principal author Koenraad Brosens, The Divine Art catalogue also includes contributions from Franois-Pascal Bertrand, Elizabeth Cleland, Charissa Bremer-David, Nello Forti Grazzini, and Christa C. Mayer Thurman. It contains a section devoted to the conservation process by Yvan Maes De Wit, president of the laboratory responsible for the conservation. The highly accessible catalogue serves a rich and instructive history of the medium.
The Divine Art: Four Centuries of European Tapestries is organized by the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition is curated by Christa Thurman, the Christa C. Thurman Chair of Textiles at the Art Institute. Major funding for the exhibition is generously provided by The Chauncey and Marion D. McCormick Family Foundation and the Julius Lewis/Rhoades Exhibition Endowment Fund. Additional support is provided by the Community Associates of the Art Institute of Chicago. Support for the catalogue is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Visit The Art Institute of Chicago at : www.artic.edu/aic |
Source Reference
http://www.artknowledgenews.com/Art_Institute_of_Chicago.html |
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