Narbonne – “The Creation of the World”, an exceptional tapestry bound for New York

We know “The origin of the world“by Gustave Courbet, but who knew that we had before our eyes in Narbonne “The creation of the world” ? It is indeed the name of an exceptional piece, one of the most beautiful tapestries in France, a true treasure of the national heritage, so far exhibited in the Treasury room of the cathedral. This work of art, little known to the general public, left our city last Wednesday. Destination: the Manufacture nationale de Wit, in Mechelen, Belgium, to be restored there, before leaving for New York where it will be exhibited. “It is a chance for Narbonne to have a tapestry of such exceptional quality, among the most beautiful that can be found in France and beyond. It is also a chance for us to be able to work on a work of such splendor “, enthusiastic Pierre Maes De Wit, director of the royal tapestry factory De Wit, in charge of the restoration, came to Narbonne to direct the delicate operation.

Woven of gold and silk

The piece titled “The creation of the world” is a tapestry from Flanders dating from the beginning of the 16th century. Its imposing size (7m, 85 by 4.20m) and its beauty have always made a strong impression on visitors who love art and history. It was placed on the south wall of the old chapter house where the treasure of the Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur cathedral was installed at the end of the 19th century, bringing together the sumptuous remains of the old liturgical furniture of the cathedral.

The tapestry describes Genesis, from the creation of heaven and earth, seas, stars and earthly paradise with Adam and Eve. God appears there in the form of the three persons of the Trinity, the three dressed in the same way without anything allowing to distinguish them one from the other. In the spirit of the time, God was not to be an absolute, but an entity, a relationship between three people, the father, the thread and the Holy Spirit. This story ends with God’s rest on Sunday. The three sit on a three-seater celestial throne, and contemplate the accomplished work. All of this is particularly rich in allegories and symbols that visitors strive to decipher.

A section of wall open to pass the work of art

The tapestry was extracted from the Treasury room, surrounded by particularly precise and demanding precautions by the specialized company of the Manufacture Royale de Wit. A door had to be demolished before it was placed in a wooden chest specially made for transport. Then a crane from the Pinol company secured it to a truck which immediately took the road to Mechelen, in the greatest discretion, the journey not including any stop, in order to secure the exceptional room. It is in this historic city that the tapestry from the Brussels workshops in the 16th century will be restored and find a new lease of life. The manipulation mobilized machinery, restorer and architect, supported by numerous national and local authorizations in order in particular for this crane truck to intervene in the garden of the Archdiocese … Thanks to these conservation works, the woven gold tapestry and silk will regain its former luster with much more present colors.

American tour

Once restored, the tapestry will head to the United States, where it will give rise to a real tour worthy of its beauty and historical interest: first exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, it will then go to the Museum of Cleveland Arts then will end up in the West at the Museum of Arts in San Francisco.
The American authorities participate in the costs of the restoration of the work. In two years, the tapestry will be back, more flamboyant than ever. It will then be discovered by the people of Narbonne, many of whom ignore the magnificence of this tapestry woven in gold.