Lurçat, Jean, Aquarius, 1959
1959
Tapestry
63 X 51 cm
Signed by the artist in ink on the reverse, numbered MI: 134
Weaving by Atelier C.Legoueix
Aubusson
In Zodiac mythology, Aquarius is the one who “pours water”. Since ancient times, he has been depicted holding two jars of water, flowing endlessly. There are also oriental representations of the constellation, where the stars follow the course of the stream created by the upturned vessel. Jean Lurçat thus combines these two conceptions of myth, as each of the two torrents shines with a star. The floral exuberance of Aquarius is rarer in older iconographic representations, but in Poésie (tapestry created for the Chant du Monde in 1964), he reproduces it with the same proliferation of vegetation.
The vibrancy created by the bright colors and woollen yarn makes this work stand out, as do its theme and the technique used to create it.
About the author
Jean Lurçat (1892-1966)
Lurçat’s work is marked by cubism and a form of metaphysical aesthetics – somewhere between de Chirico and surrealism – which were to form the ferment of his mature language. He gradually abandoned painting for the art of tapestry, of which he became a leading exponent. After the Second World War, Jean Lurçat contributed to the revival and modernization of tapestry.
