Wall Power!: Modern French Tapestry from the Mobilier National, Paris

A striking collection of French tapestries, from the 1940s to today, from the collection of the Mobilier nationale, Paris

Beginning in the 1930s, artists, government officials, art dealers, and entrepreneurs sought ways to modernize the ancient tradition of tapestry-making in France to reassert its role as an independent art form available to contemporary artists. What followed was several decades of intense production that brought international attention to a renewed tradition of French tapestry, as well as new opportunities for the historic manufactories of Gobelins and Beauvais, now overseen by the Mobilier national of France. Drawing from the celebrated collection of the Mobilier national from the 1940s to present day, this book explores the works of such artists as Joan Miró, Jean Lurçat, Henri Matisse, and Le Corbusier, who were central to the rapid resurgence of tapestry production.

Distributed for the Clark Art Institute

Exhibition Schedule:

Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA
(December 14, 2024-March 9, 2025)

Kathleen M. Morris is the Sylvia and Leonard Marx Director of Collections and Exhibitions and the curator of decorative arts at the Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA. Emmanuel Pénicaut is chief curator and director of collections of the Mobilier national, Paris.