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Elegance and modernity (1908-1958) - a revival with the Frenchwoman

Until July 26, 2009

(Avoid the queues: buy your tickets on line while clicking here!)

Gallery of the Goblins, 42, avenue des Gobelins 75013,10€ (free entry last Sunday of each month)

To say that the majority of the 250 parts exposed to the Gallery of the Goblins seldom take the air… Ordered for the presidential residences or the living rooms of pageantry of the embassies of France, furniture decorated with tapestries always does not find owner. It is then relegated in the reserves of Moblier National. For the first time, the floret of the collections of Manufactures of Beauvais, Goblins and Soap factory, is exposed to the public. Pure rapture.

Seats, folding screens, screens, handbags testify to the diversity and the refinement of the art of the tapestry of furnishing to the Frenchwoman, after the influence of the Art nouveau at the end of the years 1900.
The beginning of the XXe century indeed marks the turning of new aesthetic tastes, which open out after the First World War. By reaction to the dynamism of the foreign schools of decorative art avant-gardists, a new style is born in France, founded on the second reading of the old traditions. “French furniture could then seem somewhat retardaire by its attachment with the carved decoration and with the ornament resulting from the tradition and of its roots”, comments on the Co-police chief of the exposure, Yves Badetz (preserving with the museum of Orsay).

This new style is expressed by bright colors, merrier subjects, in adhesion with the values of ambient modernity. The new means of transport like the car and the plane, the space conquest are represented. Thus folding screen of Louise Pascalis (1893-1934) illustrating an airship, a sailplane, a seaplane and a plane - true praise of modern sciences! Or of the seats Stars of Xavier Longobardi (1923-).

The topic of the leisures (armchairs Beautiful Sundays of Paul Vera and Rene Much; folding screen Swimming, Hunt, Fishing, Canoeing of Charles Martin) and the sports (settee the Sports of Maurice Taquoy and Louis Sweats) made its appearance. As well as the fashion, as well in the representation of the female figures, as in the design of handbags.

For the more traditional artists, the traditional topics are revisited. The seasons (carpet of Jules Chéret), nature (screen Pinks of Odilon Redon; settee gold Birds of Rene Piot), the music (armchair of Jean Cavaillès), the literature (mural tapestry Fairy tales, Tom Thumb of Jean Veber).

The modernity of the tapestry of furnishing also results in the appearance of a revolutionary concept: the single one. Whereas in the XVIIIe century, the success of a model defined the number of retissages, as from the years 1910, each movable object is single, becomes work of Article.

Consequently, creation is composed not only of one new model of tapestry but also of a single wood specimen. Always invaluable like the purple wood, sycamore, ebony, mahogany tree, magnifying glass of amboine, gilded wood, enamelled wood. “Generally, the author of the model of tapestry proposes a name for the drawing of the wood, which becomes integral part of creation in perfect agreement with the tapestry”, the second police chief belongs to the exposure, Marie-Helene Massed-Bersani (direct of the department of the production and person in charge of the funds textile modern and contemporary to the State-owned furniture). For example Emile Gaudissart (1872-1956) and Andre Fréchet (1875-1973) join or Maurice Dufrêne (1876-1955); Jean Cavaillès (1901-1977) and Andre Arbus (1903-1969); Xavier Longobardi and Marc Of Plantier (1901-1975); Raoul Dufy (1924-1933) and Andre Groult (1884-1967).

The creators take as a starting point the atmosphere of the part, its architecture and tighten all worms a taste of the purified luxury.

It is thanks to the initiative of Gustave Geffroy, new administrator of the Manufacture of the Goblins in 1908, that this new French style can develop. It with the idea to be combined with the Manufacture of Beauvais and the Soap factory to make converge talents. In addition, it insufflates an artistic spirit with the orders, which comes to him from its frequentation with the contemporary artises (Toulouse-Lautrec, Monet, Cézanne, etc). Jean Ajalbert, director of the Manufacture of Beauvais between 1917 and 1934 borrow the step to him. One owes him for example the whole for the room of the Council of the Elysium including/understanding 18 armchairs with the weapons of the various ministries. Later, Georges Fountain, between 1945 and 1958, will insufflate orders of exception. Of which the whole (settee, chairs, armchairs) for Rambouillet and that for the dining room of Marly.

After one long period of interruption, manufactures join again with the tapestry of furniture in 1999, with an order associating Aki Kuroda, and in 2004, Martine Aballéa, Paul-Armand Gette and Jean-Michel Othoniel.

A surprising exposure of smoothness and modernity. As well about the forms and the subjects represented as of the nobility of materials used. What to give desire for entering the political life to benefit from the spendor of furniture?!!