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"The Foolish Virgins" - Aubusson Tapestry

Creator: Marc Saint-Saëns
Offered by: Boccara Gallery

Description
"- The Foolish Virgins (Les Vierges Folles) by Marc Saint Saëns
- Aubusson tapestry woven in the Tabard workshop

Jean Lurçat approached Saint-Saëns, originally a painter of murals, in 1940. And during the war the latter produced the first of his allegorical masterpieces, tapestries reflecting indignation, combat, resistance: “les Vierges folles (the foolish virgins), “Thésée et le Minotaure” (Theseus and the Minotaur). At the end of the war, as a natural development he joined up with Lurçat, whose convictions he shared (concerning a simplified palette, outlined cartoons with colors indicated by pre-ordained numbers, and the specific nature of tapestry design…) at the A.P.C.T. (Association des Peintres-cartonniers de Tapisserie). His universe, where the human figure, stretched, elongated, occupies an important place (particularly when compared to his companions Lurçat or Picart le Doux), pivots around traditional themes: woman, the Commedia dell’arte, Greek mythology… refined by the brilliance of the colors and the simplification of the layout. His work would evolve later, in the 1960s, towards cartoons of a more lyrical design, almost abstract where elemental and cosmic forces would dominate."

More Information

Documentation:	Signed
Notes:	Sign by the artist
Origin:	France
Period:	1920-1949
Materials:	Wool.
Condition:	Excellent.
Creation Date:	1942
Styles / Movements:	Modern
Incollect Reference #:	812629

Dimensions

W.	70 in;	H.	99 in;
W.	177.8 cm;	H.	251.46 cm;

Message from Seller:

Boccara Gallery is a leading international gallery specializing in prestigious modern and antique tapestries and artistic rugs, with a curated selection of works by 20th-century masters such as Alexander Calder, Sonia Delaunay, Man Ray, and Victor Vasarely. We are proud to announce our upcoming exhibition, Man Ray: Revolving Doors Tapestries, the first U.S. presentation of his historic textile series. The show will be on view November 5 to December 20, 2025 at our Midtown Manhattan gallery.