Moonlight thumbnail 1
Moonlight thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Moonlight

Tapestry
1983 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Tapestry Studio at West Dean has worked with a number of internationally renowned artists including Henry Moore, John Piper and Howard Hodgkin. Hodgkin studed at Camberwell Art School and later at the Bath Academy of Art. A painter and printmaker, he won the Turner Prize in 1985 and was knighted in 1992. Hodgkin's early paintings consisted predominately of curved forms and employed a limited colour pallet. However, the style of his later works evolved and become more spontaneous featuring abstract shapes and bright colours. His works are often compared to Henri Matisse due to their semi-abstract nature. Hodgkin has said that he paints 'representational pictures of emotional situations' and his encounters with friends are of great influence on his work.

In seeking to emphasise the idea of the painting as an object, Hodgkin often paints over the frames of his paintings and many of his works are on simple household items such as a bread board or table top. In this way, paintings which are not in frames are surrounded by rectangles of simple colour, as can be seen in Moonlight. West Dean weavers are all artists in their own right, trained to do their own dyeing. This means that translation of designs and paintings into tapestries is far more exact.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleMoonlight (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Tapestry woven in wool
Brief description
Tapestry hanging 'Moonlight' of woven wool, designed by Howard Hodgkin, woven at the West Dean Tapestry Studio by Dilys Stinson, Great Britain, 1983
Physical description
Tapestry of woven wool. Abstract representation of moonlight in green and white within a pink 'frame'. Large green downward pointing arrow in the centre.
Dimensions
  • Height: 117cm
  • Width: 144.8cm
  • Weight: 4.5kg (weight of tapestry on roller)
Production typeUnique
Object history
Purchased. Registered File number 1991/436.
Historical context
Howard Hodgkin studed at Camberwell Art School and later at the Bath Academy of Art. A painter and printmaker, he won the Turner Prize in 1985 and was knighted in 1992. Hodgkin's early paintings consisted predominately of curved forms and employed a limited colour pallet. However, the style of his later works evolved and become more spontaneous featuring abstract shapes and bright colours. His works are often compared to Henri Matisse due to their semi-abstract nature. Hodgkin has said that he paints 'representational pictures of emotional situations' and his encounters with friends are of great influence on his work. In seeking to emphasise the idea of the painting as an object, Hodgkin often paints over the frames of his paintings and many of his works are on simple household items such as a bread board or table top. In this way, paintings which are not in frames are surrounded by rectangles of simple colour.
Production
Woven at the West Dean Tapestry Studio by Dilys Stinson
One of a group of four versions of 'Moonlight' commissioned by The Contemporary Arts Society from West Dean, three polychrome in red and green, and this monochrome version.
Stinson had previously woven one of the polychrome versions. Following this, during four months studying at the Gobelin tapestry manufactory in Paris, Stinson learnt how to weave using the 'demi-duite' technique. When asked to weave a further version of 'Moonlight', Hodgkin agreed to Stinson's suggestion to use this technique. Hence the difference between this and other versions of 'Moonlight' woven at West Dean.

Demi-duite technique:
Demi-duit is a medival tapestry weaving technique used to render an impression of three-dimensionality on the flat surface of the tapestry. Using two colours (here one white and four green shades), the weaver uses different weave arrangements to produce dot like effects. Used in this way, the two colours can result in up to sixty different shades.





Summary
The Tapestry Studio at West Dean has worked with a number of internationally renowned artists including Henry Moore, John Piper and Howard Hodgkin. Hodgkin studed at Camberwell Art School and later at the Bath Academy of Art. A painter and printmaker, he won the Turner Prize in 1985 and was knighted in 1992. Hodgkin's early paintings consisted predominately of curved forms and employed a limited colour pallet. However, the style of his later works evolved and become more spontaneous featuring abstract shapes and bright colours. His works are often compared to Henri Matisse due to their semi-abstract nature. Hodgkin has said that he paints 'representational pictures of emotional situations' and his encounters with friends are of great influence on his work.

In seeking to emphasise the idea of the painting as an object, Hodgkin often paints over the frames of his paintings and many of his works are on simple household items such as a bread board or table top. In this way, paintings which are not in frames are surrounded by rectangles of simple colour, as can be seen in Moonlight. West Dean weavers are all artists in their own right, trained to do their own dyeing. This means that translation of designs and paintings into tapestries is far more exact.
Collection
Accession number
T.24-1991

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
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