From 18 June to 17 September, Rundāle Palace will host the exhibition “Tapestries in Bloom”, featuring ancient tapestries from the rich textile collection of the French National Furniture Foundation (Mobilier national).
The exhibition will feature 15 garden-themed tapestries made in the Gobelins, Beauvais and Aubusson manufactories from the early 16th century to the mid-20th century. They are based on designs by Flemish and French painters, including Paul Cézanne and Edouard Manet.
The Gobelins, Beauvais and Savonnerie manufactories of the French National Furniture Foundation have a long history. Their heyday was the 17th century, when the French monarchs encouraged the development of manufacturing in their country. The fulfilment of royal commissions led to artistic and technical excellence that has been preserved over many generations. The preservation of ancient skills continues today with the support of the French State.
Tapestries have always been a symbol of wealth, refined taste and practicality. Since the Middle Ages, they have been used to brighten up stone walls with colourful accents, to create a feeling of warmth in a room and to dampen noise. The process of making tapestries was long and complex, and their value was determined both by the quality of the material used – wool, silk, brocade thread – and by the amount of tonal nuance.
At the time when Rundāle Palace was built, the importance of tapestries in interiors had diminished. It is known from archival evidence that tapestries were not used in the interiors of Rundāle Palace where sculptural décor dominated, along with monumental paintings and high-quality fabric wall-hangings. It is therefore even more exciting to be able to appreciate the atmosphere created by the tapestries in the galleries of the palace’s State Wing.
“Tapestries in Bloom” at Rundāle Palace is a satellite exhibition of the 7th Riga International Textile and Fibre Art Triennial “QUO VADIS?” organised by the Latvian National Museum of Art.
The curator of the exhibition is Marie-Hélène Massé-Bersani, Inspector of the Collections Department of the French National Furniture Foundation; the project manager – Kristīne Budže, Head of the Collections Department of the Rundāle Palace Museum; and the exhibition artist – Līga Beļakiene, artist of the Rundāle Palace Museum. The technical solution of the exhibition was provided by the museum specialists, and the international cooperation was coordinated by Dita Podskočija.
The exhibition was supported by the French National Furniture Foundation, the Latvian National Museum of Art, the Latvian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design and VIA ARS.