"Mastering the Fine Art of Tapestry"
with
Cresside Collette
6th – 24th September 2016
From London to Aubusson
- a European adventure to discover the historical context and contemporary
forms of this rich, tactile medium and participate in a hands - on learning
experience of this timeless art.
You will see the sublime
high points of Mediaeval craftsmanship embodied in the 15th C. suites of The
Devonshire Hunts, the Lady and the Unicorn and the Apocalypse
of Angers. A visit to the V & A
in London will reveal the magnificence of the Raphael cartoons for the
famous suite of Classical tapestries designed for Pope Leo X in 1515, and time
will be spent in the new Mediaeval and Renaissance galleries. You will visit the private
studios of contemporary tapestry artists working in London and Exeter, and the
historic Cotehele House in Cornwall.
In Paris you will tour the famed Royal Gobelins Workshop and delight in
the treasures of the Musée des Arts Decoratifs
and the Musée du Moyen Age.
This exciting study tour
will be rounded off with a three day workshop at the Manoir du Bost in
the heart of France to learn tapestry technique first hand. Conducted by
Cresside Collette, tapestry artist, scholar and teacher, it will include day
trips to nearby Aubusson, the beautiful French town that is synonymous
with this craft.
LONDON, 3 days
DAY 1 Tuesday September
6th
Check into Indigo
Paddington Hotel.
http://www.indigopaddington.com
Visit to The Victoria
and Albert Museum http://www.vam.ac.uk in South Kensington. Highlights
will include viewing the 15thC tapestry suite, the Devonshire Hunts, Raphael's
cartoons for the Acts of the Apostles, and the Mediaeval and Renaissance
galleries.
Afternoon visit the Clothworkers Centre by appointment to view
selected tapestries in the V&A collection. http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/v/visiting-the-clothworkers-centre-for-textiles-and-fashion-study-and-conservation/
DAY 2 Wednesday
September 7th
A day at Hampton Court Palace, where the
collection includes The Story of Abraham, the sumptuous Renaissance
tapestries commissioned by Henry VIII. We will have a special tour
concentrating on the tapestries in the collection. www.hrp.org.uk/aboutus/whatwedo/collectionscare/vrtapestrieshamptoncourt
Then a studio visit to
masterful contemporary tapestry artist William
Jefferies at Kew Gardens, on the way back to London.
DAY 3 Thursday September 8th
Minibus to Rickmansworth to visit artist Anna Ray, http://www.annaray.co.uk whose innovative work is
redefining concepts of textiles and tapestry.
On to the Henry Moore Foundation
http://www.henry-moore.org
at Perry Green, Hertfordshire, the home of Henry Moore for forty years,
to view his tapestries woven at West
Dean displayed in the Aisled Barn and stroll the lovely grounds.
EXETER, 3 Days
DAY 4 Friday September 9th
Private coach to the town of Exeter in Devon, check into the
picturesque Magdalen Chapter Hotel http://www.themagdalenchapter.com
DAY 5 Saturday September 10th
Walk around the historic town that dates from Roman times. Tapestries
may be viewed in the Museum, St. Stephen’s church, and St. Nicholas’ Priory.
Visit to the magnificent Cathedral Church of St. Peter. A guided tour
with the head of the tapisers, accompanied by weaver Pat Johns who designed the altar cloth.
Studio visits to leading Contemporary Tapestry Artists,
Jilly Edwards http://www.jillyedwards.co.uk
DAY 6 Sunday September 11th
Minibus to see Cotehele House, http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cotehele/ an enchanting Tudor
manor set deep in the Cornish countryside that is home to an amazing array of
tapestry and embroidery. Mostly dating from the 17thC, textiles comprise the
primary decorative element of this unique property.
PARIS, 4 days
DAY 7 Monday September
12th
Fly to Paris from Exeter airport. Met on arrival and transferred to Hotel Central St.
Germain, 3, Rue Champollion, 75005, Paris. The Left Bank location is well
situated for all our activities. http://centralsaintgermain.com/
DAY 9 Tuesday September
13th
An afternoon tour of the Gobelins Tapestry Workshop, www.museums-of paris.com/musee_en.php?code=349, the most
important and long running workshop in the world, situated in the 13th
arondissement. The Manufacture des Gobelins was founded as a dye works in the
mid-15th century by Jean Gobelin. In 1662, Louis XIV purchased the manufactory,
and minister Colbert united all the royal artisans, creating a royal tapestry
and furniture works. It has specialised in tapestry from 1697.
A special guided tour by
arrangement.
DAY 8 Wednesday
September 14th
A walk around
the corner brings us to the wonderful treasures of the Middle Ages housed in
the Musee du Moyen Age www.musee-moyenage.fr/ang/index.html
This year we will enjoy the newly created front
entrance and celebrate the return of the sublime La Dame à la Licorne to a renovated setting. Other suites of Mediaeval
tapestries including The story of St. Stephen, The Offering of the Heart and
Aristocratic Life are also on view.
DAY 10 Thursday
September 15th
A morning at the Musée
des Arts Decoratifs www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr
enjoying the best of the decorative arts, from Mediaeval to Modern.
Walk across the manicured gardens to the courtyard of the Louvre and
marvel at the art or stroll in the adjoining Tuileries to fill in the
afternoon.
ANGERS, 2 days
DAY 12 Friday September 16th
Train to Angers. This historic town in the Loire Valley
yields one of the most exciting experiences of the tour, viewing the 100 metre
long 14th C. Apocalypse tapestry,
the Book of Revelations made visible. Housed in the fortress chateau it is an
overwhelming sight.
After booking into a quaint country style hotel, The
Hotel du Mail, http//www.hotel du mail we stroll through the Mediaeval town to make an afternoon visit to the Cathedral that houses the Mediaeval Story of Saint Maurille. Woven in 1378-81 for the Cathedral, the
designs were drawn by Jean Bondol based on illuminated manuscripts, and the
weaving was overseen by Nicolas Bataille whose workshops also produced the
Apocalypse.
DAY 13 Saturday September 17th
A morning visit to the Chateau www.francethisway.com/places/chateauangers.php
to see the Apocalypse and explore
the many delights of the garden and buildings, then a stroll along the river to
see Lurçat's answer to the magnificent Apocalypse, his Song of the World suite of ten tapestries woven from the mid 1950s
to the mid 1960s reflecting on the atom bomb, the apocalyptic event of the 20th
C.
They are displayed in the heritage 12thC.
St. John's Hospital, adjoined by the
Museum Jean Lurçat http://musees.angers.fr/index.php?id=52338 that
exhibits contemporary tapestry.
BOURGANEUF and AUBUSSON, 7 days
DAY 14 Sunday September 18th
A week's
accommodation in this splendid, secluded manor house in central France offers a
unique opportunity to learn the basics of Tapestry Weaving and develop a real
understanding of its brilliant technique. Beginners will learn to set up a
tapestry frame and weave basic shapes. More advanced students will be
encouraged to experiment with Mediaeval tapestry techniques such as hatching to
achieve colour gradations, and to adapt them to a contemporary style. Or just
relax, read, paint and draw in a beautiful setting.
All materials
and looms provided. All meals catered by
professional chef, Valerie Lagorsse.
DAY 15 Monday September 19th
Workshop commences, full day
Day 16 Tuesday
September 20th
Full day workshop
DAY 17 Wednesday September
21st
Day visit to Aubusson. www.aubusson.fr
Located a thirty
minute ride from the manoir, this pretty town in the heart of France has
existed on its weaving industry since the 14thC. Under the guidance
of Susanne Bouret, conservator of
textiles and local resident, we will stroll its streets and visit the
individual ateliers open to the
public as well as visiting more formal centres such as the Musee de la Tapisserie.www.cite-tapisserie.fr
France Odile Perrin-Crinere runs studio Atelier A2. www.ateliera2.fr
Nadia Petkovic has a new studio practice in Aubusson.
Thierry Roger is the last traditional dyer of yarn in Aubusson.
www.aubusson-teinture.fr
Chantal Chirac restores
tapestry cartoons and has built a cartoon museum for their display and
preservation in a picturesque building on the Pont de la Terrade.
The conservation studio
of Susanne Bouret is at the Terrade, next door to the Chirac Musee de Carton.
DAY 18 Thursday September 22nd
Full day workshop
DAY 19 Friday September 23rd
Day trip to Felletin
We will travel
to Felletin, a small town 10 km. from Aubusson to view the historic workshop of
Ateliers Pinton, www.ateliers-pinton.com one of two remaining
manufacturers that employs teams of weavers to make tapestries and also
produces rugs.
A lively street
market operates on Friday mornings, so we will indulge in a picnic lunch.
Then an
afternoon visit to the Eglise du Chateau
to see the annual tapestry exhibition that incorporates the most innovative
work produced in the previous year.
Farewell dinner
with Susanne Bouret at the Manoir.
DAY 20 Saturday September 24th
Return to Paris,
end of tour.
Read about the 2012 Tapestry Tour at tapestrytour.blogspot.com
TOUR DETAILS
Date and length of tour: 19 days starting in London
and finishing in Paris from September 6th to 24th, 2016.
Cost: $7,275.00 (AUD) for twin share,
$8,695.00 (AUD) for single room.
Group size: 8 minimum, 10 maximum.
Tour price
includes:
All
accommodation
All
breakfasts
All museum
and gallery entry charges specified in itinerary
All meals
at the Manoir du Bost
All
private coach, minibus and transfers in the UK
Flight
from Exeter to Paris
Paris
Visite Pass - 5 day/ zones 1- 3 Metro pass
Paris
Museum Pass - 2 day
Minivan
transfer from Paris hotel to station
1st class
rail from Paris to Angers
Private
coach transfer from Angers to the Manoir du Bost
Two
excursions to Aubusson and Felletin
Private
coach transfer to Paris
French
speaking guide in Aubusson, Felletin
Tutored 3
day tapestry workshop with Cresside Collette
Loom hire
and materials.
Tour price
does not include:
Airfare to
London and from Paris
Travel
Insurance
Meals
apart from breakfast, except at the Manoir
Lunch at
Aubusson and Felletin (2 days)
Hotels
mentioned in the itinerary are subject to availability and others of similar
quality may be substituted.
This
itinerary has been prepared with the assistance of Ian Jane at Bentleigh
Travel who will be making all tour bookings.
BENTLEIGH
TRAVEL CENTRE
Telephone:
+61 3 9557 5898
Fax: +61 3
9557 4786
Shop 7,
271 - 275 Centre Road, P.O. Box 20, Bentleigh 3204, Victoria, Australia.
Email:
ian@bentleightravel.com.au
Tour
designed and authored by Cresside Collette, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
Contact: cressidecollette@gmail.com
