LE CORBUSIER

Though he was best known as one of the leading figures—whose theoretical conceptions in architecture were radical—Le Corbusier had also practiced, in much the same way as Picasso did for example, almost all the figurative and decorative arts. Thus he became interested in tapestry, in particular in relation to his architectural theories. He viewed tapestry as “the Mural of modern times,” giving rise to a neologism he created, “Muralnomad”: tapestry becomes the wall of wool that his contemporaries carry with them as they move about, and it does not serve as a mere decorative element, but instead takes part in the spatial arrangement of interiors, while also contributing to their visual (and acoustic) harmonies. These theoretical reflections took shape in the design, notably with the assistance of Pierre Baudouin (who, in a role of technical director, served as an interface with the loom-workers), of some thirty Cartoons from 1948 until his death (after a first Cartoon in 1936, for Marie Cuttoli): while they reprise certain motifs from his paintings (female figures, objects drawn from Purism, mythological themes, etc.), these Cartoons nonetheless differ distinctly from them—and were specifically conceived for tapestry: crispness of the line, black, areas of pure color, ….

“Les Musiciennes” is a 1953 Cartoon, of large dimensions, woven in 2 distinct versions. Our tapestry takes up a detail from “Les Musiciennes” 2^e version, and bears witness to the architect’s desire, in 1964, to collaborate with the Fino workshop in Portalegre, in Portugal (where Lurçat, Matégot, Julio Pomar… were also woven); this was ultimately their only collaboration, as Le Corbusier died in 1965. The chosen detail emphasizes the faces and hands (a recurring motif, which also gives its title to a cartoon from 1951), in a kind of imagined dialogue between two opposing figures. Bibliography : Cat. Expo. Les Tapisseries de le Corbusier, Paris, Musée des Arts décoratifs, 1975 Cat. Expo. Le Corbusier œuvre tissé, Aubusson, Musée départemental de la Tapisserie, 1987 Cat. Expo. Tapisseries du Portugal, Bordeaux, Musée des Arts décoratifs, 1994, reproduite p.39