Since 2015, Sorèze, in the Tarn region of France, has been home to the Musée Dom Robert, a space dedicated to 20th-century tapestry.
The 1,500 m2 museum, housed in a renovated wing of the abbey school, was designed by Italian architects n'studio.
It showcases Dom Robert's original work, alongside others by artists who also played a part in the revival of Aubusson tapestry, including Lurçat, Prassinos and Tourlière. Dom Robert's work was a source of inspiration for the design of the Museum.
Dom Robert
Dom Robert, born Guy de Chaunac Lanzac (1907-1997), a Benedictine monk from En Calcat Abbey in Dourgne (Tarn), is one of the masters of 20th-century tapestry.
In 1941, his meeting with Jean Lurçat, impressed by his early works, illuminations and watercolors, decided his vocation as a cartonnier. His work was woven in Aubusson by Tabard, then by Suzanne Goubely. Between 1947 and 1958, he continued his work at Buckfast Monastery in England, where he was distributed by major galleries such as La Demeure in Paris, and enjoyed growing success.
His abundant, colorful work is inspired by nature, exalting the flora and fauna of the Montagne Noire, the last foothills of the Massif Central.
Dom Robert was fond of saying, "In a tapestry, you take a walk... A walk with no precise goal, you enjoy strolling. One detail leads you to another. In short, tapestry is more an art of time. It's also an art of time, an art of long patience...".
The museography allows visitors to understand the process of creating a tapestry - from the preparatory drawing to the finished work - and to pay tribute to the skills of the Aubusson weavers, listed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2009.
From Dourgne to Massaguel, the Dom Robert trail
Since spring 2020, walkers in the Montagne Noire have been able to discover the “Desert de Saint-Ferréol”, a path of departmental interest, with new signposting entitled Dans les pas de Dom Robert (In the footsteps of Dom Robert), enabling them to discover the inspirational landscapes of the monk-artist from En Calcat Abbey.
This 13 km loop (approx. 4 hrs) includes a return extension to Massaguel for a visit to the church, which features a large mural by Dom Robert in the choir and 1950s stained-glass windows by Dom Ephrem Socard and Henri Guérin.
The same information panel, with a map of the route, is located at four key points: the parking lot at En Calcat Abbey, the square in Dourgne, the square in Massaguel and the desert plateau at Saint-Ferréol.
Eleven desks, numbered at the start in Dourgne, are then distributed along the walk, according to the variety of landscapes and locations to highlight the relationship between nature and Dom Robert's work: plains, moors, pastures, woodlands and wetlands...
Dom Robert Museum
Rue Saint-martin
BP 90025
81540 Sorèze
Tel.: 05 63 50 86 38
abbaye-ecole.soreze@tarn.fr
https://www.domrobert.com/musee-dom-robert_22.php
Translated with DeepL.com
(free version)
