The Colour Group (Great Britain)Meetings 2005-2006

MEETINGS FOR 2009-2010

Monday 28 June 2010

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the actual
workshops where Michel Eugène Chevreul conducted his
famous experiments on simultaneous colour contrast
with dyed textiles, which led to the publication in 1839 of
his book De la loi du contrast simultané des couleurs.
These workkshops have never before been open for a tour or scientific meeting.

Colours & Textiles
A tour of the Manufacture des Gobelins, Paris

The Manufacture des Gobelins was founded as a dye works in the mid-15th century by Jean Gobelins. In 1662, Louis the XIV purchased the Gobelins and Jean Colbert united all the royal artisans to create a royal tapestry and furniture works. Charles Le Brun was director and chief designer from 1663 to 1690. The Gobelins was temporarily closed from 1694 to 1697, after which the works specialized in tapestry and the dyestuff workshop was then established where is it still located today.

The most famous director of the dyestuff workshop was the chemist Michel-Eugène Chevreul (1786-1889: see RIGHT) who worked on quality improvement of natural dyes for nearly sixty years (from 1824 to 1883) and was at the same time director of the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (from 1836 to1879). Chevreul’s dedication to colour research went beyond matters of organic chemistry as he soon realized that human perception was a key factor in the harmonious matches of colours in paintings, tapestries, furniture, carpets, mosaics, stain glasses, printings, illuminations, architecture, fashion and horticulture. His name is today associated with the law of colour contrast and the development of his hemispheric colour nomenclature, which is at the origin of the modern N. I. M. E. S. colour system developed for the exclusive use of the Gobelins tapestries.

The factory, which is still in operation as a state-run institution for the sole benefit of the state, will open for the first time to the public the dyestuff workshop and the N.I. M. E. S Colour Chart. Together with the visit fo the looms, on which tapestries are woven following seventeenth century techniques, this visit provides a unique opportunity to appreciate the process involved in the transcription of art works into tapestry.

photo: Félix Nadar/Arch. Phot © C. N. M. H. S - 01886

Programme - the day's programme will be conducted in English

MANUFACTURE DES GOBELINS VISIT

9:00 – 11:15 am

Access: Métro Gobelins (ligne 7) Bus 27, 47, 83 & 91.
Address: 42, avenue des Gobelins, Paris 75013
Phone: +33(0)144 08 52 00

09:00 - 9:30 visit the Haute Lisse loom 1
09:40 - 10.10 visit the Haute Lisse loom 2
10:20 - 10:50 visit of dyestuff workshop, including XIX Century Chevreul's workshop
11:00 -11:30 visit of the Colour Chart N. I. M. E. S.
11:40 break for ‘cocktail’ or a ‘drink’ in the Chapelle

COLOUR AND TEXTILES: FROM PAST TO FUTURE

14:00-17:50 pm

Venue: Instut de Paléontologie Humaine – Fondation Albert 1er de Monaco

Access: 10 minutes walk from Les Gobelins
Address: 1, rue René Panhard 75013

Provisional Programme

14:00-14:10	Openning session Work on colours at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle: a pluridisciplinary tradition Françoise Viénot Centre de Recherche sur la conservation des collections Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle - Paris
14:10- 14:55	Chevreul at the Gobelins: The discovery of the law of simultaneous contrast of colours and its consequences Georges Roque Centre de Recherche sur les arts et le language L’Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales - Paris
14:55-15:40	Dyeing with natural dyes: a long, global history Dominique Cardon Directrice de Recherche CNRS, CIHAM/UMR 5648, Lyon
15:40-16:15	Halstead-Granville Tea
16:15-17:00	Natural dyes Anne de la Sayette CRITT Horticole Centre de Ressource Technologiques – Rochefort –sur-Mer
17:00-17:45	Colour Forecast Dominique Peclers Paris
17:45-17:50	Concluding remarks & end of the meeting Andrew Hanson Chairman of the Colour Group (GB) National Physical Laboratory- Teddington

REGISTRATION IS NECESSARY
Fees are required for the Manufacture des Gobelins visit and the number of places is strictly
limited so early application is advised - first come, first served.
Attendance at the meeting Colours & Textiles: from Past to Future is free.
Registration to each event is independent, BUT NECESSARY.

Download the REGISTRATION FORM and pay in Sterling or Euro

Map showing route from Manufacture des Gobelins, 42, avenue des Gobelins, Paris 75013, to
Instut de Paléontologie Humaine 1, rue René Panhard 75013
Map of route

Accommodation: if you wish to stay overnight there are many hotels in the area. We suggest you look at
web sites like Tripadvisor or similar. Two hotels that have been used by meetings in this area in the past are:

BEST WESTERN QUARTIER LATIN
71, rue Monge, Paris 75005
tel: +33(0)1 43 31 25 64
fax : +33(0)1 43 31 11 46
quartier-latin@my-paris-hotels.com

TIMHOTEL JARDIN DES PLANTES
5, rue Linné, Paris 75005
tel: +33 (0) 1 47 07 06 20
fax: +33 (0) 1 47 07 62 74
jardin-des-plantes@timhotel.fr

Please note: the Colour Group neither recommends these hotels nor can take any responsibility for
the quality of service they offer to any persons staying in them.

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Last Updated 6 April 2010