NICE.- On the 30th anniversary of the death of Chagall, the Marc Chagall National Museum unveils one of the artist's lesser-known aspects of his production : the woven works. Having settled in the South of France, after World War II, Marc Chagall began exploring techniques other than painting and engraving. The artist sought to broaden his artistic range, pouring his efforts into experimenting with ceramics, stained glass, sculpture, mosaics and tapestry. In his lifetime, Chagall's designs resulted in 20 tapestries woven for public buildings or incorporated into private collections. Based on designs by Chagall, these tapestries were executed in close collaboration with the weavers of the Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins and with Yvette Cauquil-Prince, an accomplished expert in the field of tapestry.

Chagall and the art of tapestry The first tapestries were woven at the Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins in Paris between 1965 and 1968. They form a collection of three giant tapestries for the Knesset hall in Jerusalem. Between 1970 and 1971, the Manufacture des Gobelins was once again entrusted with creating a tapestry for the future Marc Chagall Biblical Message National Museum in Nice. But most of the tapestries based on Chagall's designs were executed by Yvette Cauquil-Prince. A leading figure in the 20th Century tapestry revival, Yvette Cauquil-Prince (1928-2005) devoted her expertise and talents to translating works by the period's greatest artists into woven form, including Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, Paul Klee and Chagall, who she met in 1964. A fruitful relationship ensued, lasting two decades and beyond as Yvette Cauquil-Prince continued her tapestries after Chagall's death in 1985. A spectacular interpreter of the master's work, she excelled in recreating his visual effects through the medium of tapestry. In her woven works, she succeeded in transposing all of the expressive richness found in the artist's paintings, engravings and sketches. The first tapestries modest in size were then followed by larger pieces, thus showcasing the design in a new format and scale. In her capacity as a master craftswoman, Yvette Cauquil-Prince goes further than producing mere copies or simply enlarging the designs. By playing with medium and format, she offers a fresh take on Marc Chagall's work.

A first tapestry exhibition at the Marc Chagall National Museum
For the very first time, the Marc Chagall National Museum is giving pride of place to this technique that is represented in its collections by a single piece created specifically for the museum, Mediterranean Landscape. The Marc Chagall exhibition, Woven works will be exhibited throughout the museum. It will allow visitors to enjoy 12 dazzling and more nuanced tapestries as well as 12 original works by Chagall that were used as templates for the weaving.

The works carried out in collaboration with the Gobelins will be represented by the tapestry created for the museum opening (1973) as well as by the artist's proof approved by Marc Chagall for the Knesset tapestries. The other tapestries on display will demonstrate Yvette Cauquil-Prince's brillant skills. The exhibition will also bring a better understanding of the freedom of expression and interpretation left to master craftsmen and craftswomen. A room dedicated to tapestry technique will be open, in which the public will be able to explore the materials used in the weaving process.

A monumental translation of Marc Chagall's colourful flair, this body of woven works acts as an extension of his painted and engraved art. It invites the public to step into the world of creative possibility, surpassing the boundaries that exist between artistic fields.