Marc Saint-Saens décorateur mural et peintre cartonnier de tapisserie
Institution:
Bordeaux 3Disciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
Marc saint-saens (1903-1979), who qualified at the toulouse art scholl, was at the beginning a famous fresco designer from 1934 to 1939, before working by the side of jean lurcat, as early as 1940, one of the first architects of the french tapestry renaissance. From then on, tapestry took over from the big renewal movement which had been quite brisk in the mural art since the end of the 19th century. Jean lurcat succeeded in making the moste of the technical research carried out during some 50 years at the gobelins and aubusson as far as tapestry cartoon design, collection of fabrics, shades resistance and reduction, thickness of the material are concerned. Saint-saens, who was one of the most famous representatives of the lurcat school, as well as the vicepresident of the tapestry designers association, worked on specific cartoon design (should it be numbered or gouache painted) and felicitously gave new life to traditional tapestry subjects : nature, poetry, music, theatre, mythes. His works, nearly exclusively woven at aubusson met considerable success until 1955. The coming of abstract art, the come-back to weaving from sketches and paintings signed by the greatest names threw the ethics and aesthetics of the lurcat school back into question. Finally, the new tapestry, the "other" weavings, the appeal for "spontaneous", for the rough art put tapestry of lisse out of the fashion ; the second biennial event held in lausanne in 1965 tolled the french school pre-eminence in the nam of international art and modernity. Saint-saens who had neglected his career as a painter to the advantage of his work as a tapestry designer, died bitter, disen
Abstract FR:
Marc saint-saens (1903-1979) diplome de l'ecole des beaux-arts de toulouse fut d'abord un fresquiste de renom de 1934 a 1939 avant de devenir aux cotes de jean lurcat des 1940 l'un des premiers artisans de la renaissance de la tapisserie francaise. A partir de cette date la tapisserie prit la releve du grand courant de renouveau de l'art mural tres vivace depuis la fin du xixe siecle. Jean lurcat sut tirer profit des recherches techniques menees depuis une cinquantaine d'annees tant aux gobelins qu'a aubusson sur l'ecriture du carton de tapisserie, l'echantillonnage, la solidite et la reduction des tons, la grosseur du tissu. Saint-saens qui fut l'un des plus notables representants de "l'ecole de lurcat" et le vice-president de l'association des peintres cartonniers de tapisserie s'attacha a l'ecriture specifique du carton (qu'il soit numerote ou gouache) et renouvela avec bonheur les themes traditionnels de la tapisserie francaise : nature, poesie, musique, theatre, mythes. Ses oeuvres tissees presque exclusivement a aubusson connurent un succes considerable jusqu'en 1955. La montee de l'abstraction, le retour au tissage d'apres des esquisses peintes signees des plus grands noms remirent en question l'ethique et l'esthetique de l'ecole de lurcat. Enfin la nouvelle tapisserie, les tissages "autres", le gout du spontane, de l'art brut, demoderent la tapisserie de lisse. La iie biennale de lausanne en 1965 sonna le glas de la preeminence de l'ecole francaise au nom de l'art international et du culte de la modernite. Saint-saens qui avait neglige sa carriere de peintre au profit du carton de tapisserie mourut amer, desabuse et oublie, laissant une oeuvre tisse de plus de quatre cents pieces.