Lurçat, Jean, Aquarius, 1959

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.