Moravská gobelínová manufaktura
Encyclopedia
The Moravská gobelínová manufaktura — MGM, is a tapestry
manufactory located in the town of Valašské Meziříčí
, in the Zlín Region
of the Czech Republic
. The manufactory has been involved in the area of hand-made classical and artistic tapestries, restoring and also creating new pieces with modern themes for more than fifty years. It is considered the first tapestry manufactory in Czechoslovakia, and the only workshop of this kind in Moravia
and Silesia
.
The workshop, textile manufactory and museum, is also well known for its collaborative works with Czech artists and architects. Its main focus is deeply rooted in preserving the principal technical methods of fine manual work. The manufactory and school of Gobelin
tapestry idealized by painter and tapestry designer Rudolf Schlattauer, has now been in activity for more than one hundred years.
. After training as painter at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, Schlattauer studied and practiced painting in other European cities, spending a period of time in Scandinavia. There, he became acquainted with the local manufacture of hand-woven tapestry. Schlattauer Scandinavian sojourn is generally considered a turning point in his subsequent professional activities. In 1898, after returning from the Nordic countries, he established a tapestry-weaving practice in the village of Zašová
, near the Moravian town of Valašské Meziříčí. The region's traditional textile
cottage industry and in turn skilled work force were viewed as assets for the tapestry workshop's most successful operation.
motifs, shapes and ornamentation. Of equal importance was the Valašské Meziříčí manufactory's collaboration with Czech painter Hanuš Schwaiger, Schlattauer's fellow student from the Vienna Academy. The factory produced tapestries based on Schwaiger's decorative patterns, and their variations were much more in demand in later years. The woven wall tapestry as well as the manufactory's second main article, the hand-knotted carpet, were perceived as potential style-forming components in the decoration of interior spaces and as such inspired the manufactory to turn to architects. These included Dušan Jurkovič
, Jan Kotěra
and a large number of their students and followers, many of whom were engaged at the School for Fine Woodworking in Valašské Meziříčí after their Prague studies. The fabrics produced under the directorship of Schlattauer's successor Jaro Kučera are characterized, in terms of styhle, by a decorativist Art Deco
idiom and, thematically, by an espousal of figural subjects related to the newly-established Czechoslovakia — to those of work and life in the young republic.
, František Süser, and many others. The ensuing 1930s were marked by a minimalist artistic expression, distinctive of functionalist-style carpet designs. During World War I, the manufactory's art production stagnated due to the lack of fine-quality material for tapestry weaving
. In 1946, a new management was appointed to the plant and its specialization was expanded to include the restoration of historical tapestries and production of hand-woven carpets. The following year saw the establishment of cooperation with foreign companies, among them the French traditional tapestry workshop in Aubusson
. In the 1950s, a tapestry was made for the Triennale
in Milan from a design by Pravoslak Kotík and another piece was produced from a pattern by Ludmila Kybalová for the World's Fair Expo '58 in Brussels. In the 1960s, the manufactory collaborated with the textile designer Antonín Kybal and a sizable group of his students. Jan T. Sryček, the current director of the Moravská Gobelínová Manufaktura, was also enrolled in Kybal's studio at the Academy of Arts, Archtecture and Design in Prague. Sryček has been representing the manufactory's modern history from the early 1990s. Apart from textile design work, Sryček also initiated the Actual Textile Art project. The purpose of this initiative has been to resurrect the manufactory's time-tested collaboration with contemporary artists. Over the years, a host of prominent embodying many different styles and distinctive aesthetic approches have been invited to express themselves through the medium of wool.
Tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom, however it can also be woven on a floor loom as well. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a...
manufactory located in the town of Valašské Meziříčí
Valašské Mezirící
Valašské Meziříčí is a town in the Zlín Region, the Czech Republic. The town has 27,960 inhabitants.Vsetínská Bečva and Rožnovská Bečva rivers join in the town to form the Bečva River.-Main sights:* The Kinský Chateau...
, in the Zlín Region
Zlín Region
Zlín Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the central-eastern part of the historical region of Moravia. It is named after its capital Zlín....
of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. The manufactory has been involved in the area of hand-made classical and artistic tapestries, restoring and also creating new pieces with modern themes for more than fifty years. It is considered the first tapestry manufactory in Czechoslovakia, and the only workshop of this kind in Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
and Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
.
The workshop, textile manufactory and museum, is also well known for its collaborative works with Czech artists and architects. Its main focus is deeply rooted in preserving the principal technical methods of fine manual work. The manufactory and school of Gobelin
Gobelin
Gobelin was the name of a family of dyers, who in all probability came originally from Reims, and who in the middle of the 15th century established themselves in the Faubourg Saint Marcel, Paris, on the banks of the Bièvre....
tapestry idealized by painter and tapestry designer Rudolf Schlattauer, has now been in activity for more than one hundred years.
History
The first stage in the history of the Moravská gobelínová manufaktura in Valašské Meziříčí dates back to the 19th century, when the author Rudolf Schlattauer materialized his idea of opening a tapestry-weaving workshopWorkshop
A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...
. After training as painter at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, Schlattauer studied and practiced painting in other European cities, spending a period of time in Scandinavia. There, he became acquainted with the local manufacture of hand-woven tapestry. Schlattauer Scandinavian sojourn is generally considered a turning point in his subsequent professional activities. In 1898, after returning from the Nordic countries, he established a tapestry-weaving practice in the village of Zašová
Zašová
Zašová is a village and municipality in Vsetín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic.The municipality covers an area of , and has a population of 2,807 ....
, near the Moravian town of Valašské Meziříčí. The region's traditional textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
cottage industry and in turn skilled work force were viewed as assets for the tapestry workshop's most successful operation.
Collaboration
During its initial years, however, the plant confronted difficulties, particularly of economic type. The protracted problems with sales of the product led to the request for official funding support, which ultimately resulted in the manufactory's takeover by the Moravian Regional Committee, followed by its transformation into the Jubilee Regional Tapestry and Carpet School, located in Valašské Meziříčí. Artistically, the school's initial period is associated with textile designs created by its director Rudolf Schlattauer: his tapestries, screens and furniture upholstery feature Art NouveauArt Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
motifs, shapes and ornamentation. Of equal importance was the Valašské Meziříčí manufactory's collaboration with Czech painter Hanuš Schwaiger, Schlattauer's fellow student from the Vienna Academy. The factory produced tapestries based on Schwaiger's decorative patterns, and their variations were much more in demand in later years. The woven wall tapestry as well as the manufactory's second main article, the hand-knotted carpet, were perceived as potential style-forming components in the decoration of interior spaces and as such inspired the manufactory to turn to architects. These included Dušan Jurkovič
Dušan Jurkovic
Dušan Jurkovič was a Slovak architect, ethnographer and artist. One of the best-known promoters of Slovak art in 20th century Czechoslovakia, he is remembered mostly due to his projects of numerous World War I cemeteries in Galicia. Jurkovič repeatedly stressed: The work of art is rooted in the time...
, Jan Kotěra
Jan Kotera
Jan Kotěra was a Czech architect, artist and interior designer, and one of the key figures of modern architecture in Bohemia.-Biography:...
and a large number of their students and followers, many of whom were engaged at the School for Fine Woodworking in Valašské Meziříčí after their Prague studies. The fabrics produced under the directorship of Schlattauer's successor Jaro Kučera are characterized, in terms of styhle, by a decorativist Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
idiom and, thematically, by an espousal of figural subjects related to the newly-established Czechoslovakia — to those of work and life in the young republic.
In the 20th century
The creative partnership between the tapestry establishment and visual artists, through which paintings were translated into textile form, continued to flourish; tapestries were woven from designs by artists Václav ŠpálaVáclav Špála
Václav Špála was a Czech painter, graphic designer and illustrator.He studied at Prague Academy. His work he expose with “Stubborn” group. At the beginning of his career his work was influenced by Fauvism, later by Cubism. Since 1923 he painted mainly landscapes and still-lives.Václav Špála ranks...
, František Süser, and many others. The ensuing 1930s were marked by a minimalist artistic expression, distinctive of functionalist-style carpet designs. During World War I, the manufactory's art production stagnated due to the lack of fine-quality material for tapestry weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
. In 1946, a new management was appointed to the plant and its specialization was expanded to include the restoration of historical tapestries and production of hand-woven carpets. The following year saw the establishment of cooperation with foreign companies, among them the French traditional tapestry workshop in Aubusson
Aubusson tapestry
The Aubusson tapestry manufacture of the 17th and 18th centuries managed to compete with the royal manufacture of Gobelins tapestry and the privileged position of Beauvais tapestry...
. In the 1950s, a tapestry was made for the Triennale
Triennale
La Triennale di Milano is a design museum and events venue in Milan, Italy, located inside the Palace of Art building, part of Parco Sempione, the park grounds adjacent to Castello Sforzesco. It hosts exhibitions and events which highlight contemporary Italian design, urban planning, architecture,...
in Milan from a design by Pravoslak Kotík and another piece was produced from a pattern by Ludmila Kybalová for the World's Fair Expo '58 in Brussels. In the 1960s, the manufactory collaborated with the textile designer Antonín Kybal and a sizable group of his students. Jan T. Sryček, the current director of the Moravská Gobelínová Manufaktura, was also enrolled in Kybal's studio at the Academy of Arts, Archtecture and Design in Prague. Sryček has been representing the manufactory's modern history from the early 1990s. Apart from textile design work, Sryček also initiated the Actual Textile Art project. The purpose of this initiative has been to resurrect the manufactory's time-tested collaboration with contemporary artists. Over the years, a host of prominent embodying many different styles and distinctive aesthetic approches have been invited to express themselves through the medium of wool.
Further reading
- The Language of Fibers by Jan T. Strýček, Miluška Trachtová, Pavel Šopák
External links
- Moravská Gobelínová Manufaktura on Virtual Travel Globe
- Moravská Gobelínová Manufaktura on Seznam.czSeznam.czSeznam.cz is the most visited web portal and search engine in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1996 by Ivo Lukačovič in Prague as the fist web portal in the Czech Republic. In 2008 Seznam reached a turnover of around 1.7 billion CZK. Seznam started with a search engine and an internet version of...