Exposition " Trésors de laine et de soie "

The tapestries of Guillaume Werniers and Catherine Ghuys in 18th-century Lille.

The exhibition "Treasures of Wool and Silk: The Tapestries of Guillaume Werniers & Catherine Ghuys in 18th-Century Lille" will showcase for the first time an exceptional collection of tapestries from the Musée de l'Hospice Comtesse and the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille.

Both institutions are fortunate to house unique collections of 18th-century tapestries. These works evoke Lille's rich textile heritage, which experienced significant economic growth during this period. The Werniers Manufactory was one of the most prominent in Northern Europe.

Monumental in scale, these tapestries took months to produce. Featuring various themes and motifs, including famous pastoral scenes, they served as luxury and decorative objects favored by aristocrats, the emerging bourgeoisie, and religious communities.

Their presentation promises to be spectacular. Large, fragile, and complex to exhibit due to their weight and sensitivity to light, these tapestries underwent major restoration, subsidized by the DRAC Hauts-de-France, from 2023 to 2026.

This exhibition will reveal them in all their original splendor while also sharing the latest research on these rare textiles.