When Gothenburg Concert Hall was completed, a competition was announced in July 1935 for the decoration of the short walls in the foyer at G\u00f6taplatsen \u2013 either in fresco or textile form. Sven X:et Erixson (1899\u20131970) was one of the winners with his proposal Melodies by the Square, a monumental tapestry inspired by motifs from Spain and North Africa.<\/p>\n
Here the viewer encounters a fiery Spanish dancer, a harpist, two men with stringed instruments, and people in motion, all rendered in a concentrated and daring perspective. The man with the banjo-like instrument is said to be Sven Erixson himself, while the fair-haired boy is his son.<\/p>\n
X:et was renowned for his vivid and expressive works and worked throughout his life across a wide range of techniques and materials \u2013 painting, printmaking, glass, fresco and textiles. The original design for Melodies by the Square, the so-called cartoon, is today displayed opposite the entrance to Stenhammar Hall. Here, visitors can follow the development of the work from initial sketch to finished tapestry.<\/p>\n
Before the weaving could begin, a full-scale design first had to be produced. X:et painted it on site at Gothenburg Concert Hall over a period of seven months. Once completed, the painting was rolled up and transported to Stockholm, where it served as the weavers\u2019 visual reference during the extensive work at the loom.<\/p>\n
Creating the tapestry was both a technical and artistic challenge. Measuring 6 by 9 metres, the work required a specially constructed loom standing an impressive 6.5 metres high. Several different weaving techniques were employed in order to do justice to the painting\u2019s richness of colour and intricate detail. The materials consist of linen yarn and wool.<\/p>\n
The work was led by textile artist Barbro Nilsson, who between 1937 and 1939 created the tapestry in close collaboration with Sven Erixson together with six weavers: Astrid Svensson, Brita Eliasson, Ingrid Danielsson, Kerstin Ekman (later Ekman-Zethraeus), Kerstin Fredriksson and Margareta Hagg\u00e5rd. In the lower left corner of the tapestry, the six weavers are symbolised as oranges \u2013 fruit they consumed in great quantities during the weaving period.<\/p>\n
In the painting In the Weaving Studio, now part of the collection at the Gothenburg Museum of Art, the full-scale design can be seen hanging above four of the weavers as the work progresses. After the tapestry was completed, X:et donated the original design to Saltsj\u00f6baden Co-educational School, where it still hangs in the school auditorium today.<\/p>\n
In addition to his collaboration with Sven X:et Erixson, Barbro Nilsson also worked with artists such as Endre Nemes and Olle Nyman. She was Head Teacher of Textiles at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design from 1947 to 1957, and Artistic Director of M\u00e4rta M\u00e5\u00e5s-Fjetterstr\u00f6m\u2019s weaving studio between 1942 and 1970.<\/p>\n
In the book The Art of Sven Erixson (1967), the art historian Lars-Erik \u00c5str\u00f6m described the tapestry in the following words: \u201cIt is not a textile translation of a highly complex painting; it is a wall of life, colour and textile material in which everything feels equally natural, fresh and alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the spring of 2015, the tapestry was cleaned and restored, giving the colours renewed brilliance and vitality.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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