The verveux (variant)
Tapestry probably from Aubusson.
Circa 1947.
A passionate enthusiast of mural art since 1937 (he participated in the International Exposition), Lagrange designed his first cartoons in 1945 and became one of the founding members of the APCT (Association for the Promotion of Tapestry). Initially expressionist (like Matégot or Tourlière), his cartoons (starting with his collaboration with Pierre Baudouin) evolved towards a stylization that culminated in the 1970s in cartoons composed of refined symbols in pure tones. Beyond his role in the revival of tapestry (and the associated public commissions), Lagrange was a professor at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, a regular collaborator of Jacques Tati, a designer of monumental sets, and a recognized painter, close to Estève and Lapicque.
"The Verveux," a large tapestry measuring 203 x 285 cm woven at Tabard's workshop (and whose cartoon is preserved at the Cité de la Tapisserie in Aubusson), is characteristic of Lagrange's early period: both in its theme (the realistic anachronism of old trades practiced by ordinary people) and in its expressionistic treatment. Our cartoon takes up this theme again, on a smaller scale, with a single figure and a different color palette, though certain details remain: the oil lamp, the brightly colored fish on the ground…
Bibliography:
Lagrange Exhibition Catalog, Angers, Jean Lurçat Museum and Contemporary Tapestry, 1987;
Robert Guinot, Jacques Lagrange, The Colors of Life, Lucien Souny Publisher, 2005;
JJ and B. Wattel, Jacques Lagrange and His Canvases: Paintings, Tapestries, Cinema, Editions Louvre Victoire, 2020
