The Gallery of the Royal Collections exhibits for the first time an exhibition on court textiles

The Gallery of Royal Collections opened its new large temporary exhibition this Wednesday, ‘Weaving courtly life. Fabrics and embroidery from the Royal Collections’. The exhibition represents the largest exhibition milestone dedicated to court textiles in Spain and will be open to the public from June 11 to October 12.

Of the thousands of textiles that the National Heritage guards, for the sample they have been selected just over 200 pieces of exceptional technical qualitythe vast majority never exposed to the public. Many have been restored – 80% in the National Heritage workshops – and can be seen in an optimal state of conservation. Although the works belong almost entirely to the National Heritage, there are relevant loans from, among others, the Prado Museum, the Pitti Palace in Florence and the Museum of Textiles and Decorative Arts in Lyon.

Along with the fabrics, the visitor will find paintings, photographs, furniture and objects that illustrate the versatility of textiles in the daily life of the palaces. Among the most unique pieces are Queen Berenguela’s pillow (before 1246), a “sultana” bathtub that hid its hygienic function by transforming it into a couch, an unusual 19th-century float covered in cotton, and several beds and canopies.

FIVE BLOCKS

The exhibition, which deliberately does not follow a chronological order, is organized into five blocks around a unique museography designed by Paco Bocanegra. “Extraordinary wonders“contrasts medieval trousseau with nineteenth-century leisure pieces;”Spaces of majesty“is articulated around the canopies of Charles IV and Maria Luisa of Parma; “Silk dreams“analyzes real rest; “Royal Upholstery Craft” reveals the behind-the-scenes care of the collection, and “Cloakroom and boudoir“closes the tour in the most intimate facet of the monarchs.

The exhibition can be visited from June 11 to October 12. Access is included in the general admission to the Gallery. It can also be visited independently together with the temporary exhibition ‘Fernando Brambila, painter of the Royal Sites’, with a combined ticket at a price of 8 euros.

‘Weaving Courtly Life is curated by Pilar Benitohead of National Heritage Conservation; Heavy on Himhead of Decorative Arts Restoration, and Maria BarrigonHead of Conservation of Textile Arts.

Ana de la Cueva, president of National Heritage, has invited us to discover “the exquisite and delicate universe that the best artists and craftsmen built stitch by stitch.” “It is an extraordinary exhibition. Visiting it moves and surprises. And it is the culmination of the hard collective work of the curators and National Heritage professionals responsible for the selection, documentation and restoration of these wonderful pieces,” he highlighted.

For his part, Víctor Cageao, director of the Gallery and Royal Collections, has stressed the importance of “the exceptional collection of textiles preserved by National Heritage. They are key pieces in the configuration of royal spaces throughout our history. Fabrics and embroidery that played a fundamental role in Spanish court life as symbols of power, refinement and representation.”