Portalegre tapestry in Rome

Between the 3rd and the 27th of November 2011, the Istituto Portoghese di Sant’Antonio in Roma, will be hosting the exhibition “L’Arazzo di Portalegre – Espressione Contemporanea di un’Arte Secolare” (Portalegre Tapestry - A Contemporary Expression of a Secular Art).

For the first time in Rome, a rare Portalegre tapestry of Bruno Munari, dated from 1985, will be exhbited.

The manufacture of Portalegre is one of the few and oldest, dedicated to the wall tapestry and reproducing the works of famous artists through the close collaboration between the original artist, the draughtsman/woman, and the womanweaver.
Some of the most well-known names include Almada Negreiros, Graça Morais, Jean Lurçat, Júlio Pomar, Le Corbusier, Menez and Vieira da Silva.

“L’Arazzo di Portalegre – Espressione Contemporanea di un’Arte Secolare” can be visited at the gallery of the Istituto Portoghese di Sant’Antonio in Roma, until November 27, Wednesday-Sunday (16.00 - 19.00).
The inauguration willl take place 3 novembre 2011 at 18.00.
Admitance is free.

A recent exhibition showing a couple of tapestries reproducing the artwork of famous portuguese artists, took place in Lisbon.

Handmade Tapestries of Portalegre

In the city of Portalegre, in the Alentejo (South of Portugal), one will find one of the best tapestries in the world.
Based upon the artwork of known portuguese and foreign artists, these handmade tapestries take advantage of an available palette of 7000 colours.
Each weft consists of eight threads, meaning that different colours can be mixed in the same weft, resulting in reach chromatic effects.
The tapestries are woven by hand on a vertical loom and grow horizontaly, using a technique that permits to achieve great definition on small details.
The tapestries of Portalegre are limited in series of 1, 4 or 8 of the same original and are numbered and signed by the artist.
You may take a look at their site to learn more about an almost lost Art.
They fight with difficulties and the wage of the weavers is far less than what they deserve.
An increase in the number of buyers would help to keep these wonderful works of Art available to those who are true connoisseurs
In Lisbon you may also visit a permanent exhibition at the Galeria Tapeçarias de Portalegre ( Portalegre Tapestry Gallery).