Study on the Formation of Official Art in the 20th century France: from the Perspective of the Designers of cartoons for the Gobelins Manufactory

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22999
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0101:Philosophy, art, and related fields
• Research Institution: Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
• Principal Investigator: OKASAKA Sakurako 東京藝術大学, 大学院美術研究科, 研究員 (60843985)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: タピスリー / ギュスターヴ・ジェフロワ / ゴブラン / 美術史 / 美術行政

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to reveal the process of the formation of “official art” in the first half of the 20th century France by analyzing the modernization of the Gobelins tapestries, that was undertaken by Gustave Geffroy (1855-1926), director from 1908 to 1926. It mainly analyzed the process of making a series of tapestries Provinces et villes de France which is considered as one of the highlights among Geffroy’s projects and the Council of the Gobelins (la Commission de perfectionnement de la Manufacture nationale des Gobelins) which had the authority to select the artists and examine cartoons of tapestry. The study reveals that the artists appointed designer of cartoons were not necessarily “avant-garde” at that time (and they are now largely forgotten) and that the decisions by the director of the Gobelins were not always absolute by the presence of the Council.

Free Research Field

19・20世紀フランス美術

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で扱う「ギュスターヴ・ジェフロワと国立ゴブラン製作所」というトピックは、「ジェフロワ研究」「近代タピスリー史」という双方の研究領域において看過されてきたテーマであり、本研究がその嚆矢と位置付けられる。また、具体的な考察対象となる作品は、これまでのフランス近代絵画史を形成してきたモダニズム史観に基づく評価からはこぼれ落ちてきたものが多く、これらの作品の再検証と美術史的な位置付けは、従来のフランス近代絵画史に新たな評価軸を提起しうると考えられる。