Personnage

The donor of this tapestry, Gloria F. Ross, worked with Pace Gallery (New York City) and some of the artists they represented to revive the collaborative tradition of painters and weavers working together to create large woven tapestries. This collaboration involved French artist Jean Dubuffet and Archie Brennan, master weaver of Dovecote Studio in Scotland. The design for this piece was particularly innovative as it moved beyond the typical rectangular format and also included a detachable unit. Figural imagery was a dominant part of Dubuffet's visual statement. A stand-alone personnage that could be placed on various parts of the background hanging was a distinct challenge for the weaver, however, who had to surmount, among other things, the technical challenge of creating a smooth finish and mounting system for the irregular profile of the figure. The Gloria F. Ross archive records indicate that the background tapestry panel, measuring 10' x 6' was sent to Dubuffet in Paris by 1976, but it seems that the figure remained in New York and was known to be in Ross's foyer since the 1980s. Although we do not own the complete tapestry, the innovative way the figure was created while retaining the essence of Dubuffet's imagery makes this a particularly exciting addition to the museum's holdings. Further research is currently being done on this piece in the hope of obtaining a visual of the original tapestry showing the relationship of figure and background.