Les Saltimbanques (The Entertainers)

Textiles

1959

Designed by Liliane Badin (Belgian, 1929-2012)
Woven by Gaspard De Wit (1892–1971) at the Royal Tapestry Manufacturer (Koninklijke Manufactuur van Wandtapijten Gaspard De Wit) (Belgian, founded 1889)
Belgium, Mechelen

This tapestry features a variety of traveling street performers flanked by a well-dressed audience. Vertical forms predominate, and the elongated bodies of the figures, the patterning of their costumes, and the stripes of the tent all draw attention to the small cottages in the background. While the entertainers endeavor to delight the spectators, the horse and carriage in the background hint at the transitory character of their lives—and, in fact, the fleeting nature of life regardless of one’s circumstances.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Textiles

Artist: Liliane Badin (Designer)
Title: Les Saltimbanques (The Entertainers)
Place: Belgium (Object made in)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: Made 1959
Medium: Wool and cotton; tapestry weave
Dimensions: 300.5 × 168.9 cm (118 1/4 × 66 1/2 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel R. Garber
Reference Number: 1974.385

Art Institute of Chicago, Junior Museum, May 6- July 29, 1982
Art Institue of Chicago, Junior Museum, March 1- June 7, 1988
Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth F. Cheney and Agnes Allerton Textile Galleries, On or Off the Wall: An International Selection of Tapestries and Carpets, 1920s–1970s, May 14, 2003–Feb. 8, 2004 [brochure].
Art Institute of Chicago, Music and Movement: Rhythm in Textile Design, May 18, 2018-Jan. 6, 2019.

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel R. Garber, unknown date; gifted to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1974.

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

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