Museum Gouda Traces Power and Craft in 'Wonder Walls – Geweven meesterwerken'
Museum Gouda is hosting 'Wonder Walls – Geweven meesterwerken', which highlights the tapestry industry of seventeenth-century Gouda and brings together two important pieces. Among the featured works is 'Landschapsverdure' (1692-94) from the workshop of Jannetje Wouters, originally used as a wedding backdrop. The tapestry scene flourished thanks to many Protestant refugees from Flanders. The exhibition delves into themes of power and wealth, showcasing 'Inschrijving van armen en wezen in het Aalmoezeniershuis' (1626) alongside a gold-leather artwork representing status. Tapestries portray continents as women, while 'Orestes' wraak op Aegisthus' (ca. 1648-62) prompts discussions on power dynamics. Additionally, 'Woven Letters' by Mina Abouzahra features modern designs connected to local communities.
Key facts
- Museum Gouda presents 'Wonder Walls – Geweven meesterwerken' on the seventeenth-century Gouda tapestry industry.
- Two costly tapestries are shown in Gouda for the first time in centuries.
- 'Landschapsverdure' (1692-94) served for years as the backdrop for weddings in the Gouda city hall, with door openings still visible.
- The tapestry was later attributed to the workshop of tapissier Jannetje Wouters (ca. 1640-1722), who led Gouda's largest tapestry workshop.
- A weaver produces on average a surface the size of a fist per day.
- Many weavers were Protestant refugees from Flanders who refused to convert to Catholicism.
- Pieter de Cracht's tapestry 'Orestes' wraak op Aegisthus' (ca. 1648-62) shows a Black man kneeling while Orestes points over him.
- Mina Abouzahra (1977) presents the solo exhibition 'Woven Letters' at Museum Gouda, with cushions for Gouda associations and weavers' names listed.
Entities
Artists
- Jannetje Wouters
- Pieter de Cracht
- Theodorus Bisdom
- Alexander Baert
- Clara de Hont
- Mina Abouzahra
- Aad Hoogendoorn
- Pim Tops
Institutions
- Museum Gouda
- Aalmoezeniershuis
- MultiCultiKoor Gouda
- Museumtijdschrift
Locations
- Gouda
- Netherlands
- Flanders
- Germany
- Sweden
- Amsterdam
- Guyana
- South America
- Morocco
- Southern Morocco
- Asia
- Africa
- Americas
- Europe