MoMu Collection travels to Kasteel d'Ursel
A selection of silhouettes and objects from the MoMu collection can be now be seen at Kasteel d'Ursel in Hingene. They are part of Print & Paint: 350 Years of Flowers on Cotton, an exhibition about Kasteel d'Ursels' restored collection of printed and painted fabrics from India and Europe. The objects on loan from MoMu help tell the story of how Europe experimented with textile printing techniques.
From 26 May, the unique, restored collection and castle rooms can be visited and admired. Some of these rooms are open to the public for the first time. Kasteel d'Ursel is including several objects on loan from MoMu in this exceptional story. They are interior views from the castle that have never before been exhibited and silhouettes by such contemporary designers as Dirk Van Saene and Dries Van Noten.
As MoMu conservator Wim Mertens explains, ‘We are delighted to be working with Kasteel d'Ursel and presenting our collection pieces in this way. The dresses and jackets, as well as the samples and printing blocks from the MoMu collection, reveal how Europeans experimented with textile printing techniques and how incredibly popular these fabrics were in the 18th and 19th centuries.'
Wim Mertens continues: ‘The skirts, jackets and dresses dating from 1770 to 1890 give a very good impression of the story of fashion during those years. In around 1800, for example, earthy tones such as bistre, brown and yellow were the epitome of fashion. MoMu is lending a scarf from this period, a garment that was long an indispensable element in the fashionable wardrobe. The MoMu collection also includes the archives of the City of Ghent’s most important cotton printing company, Voortman, including samples and recipes for making pastes and dye baths. The printing blocks now on view in Print & Paint further illustrate the history of printing on cotton.'
Print & Paint is on view from 26 May through 9 October 2022, at Kasteel d'Ursel in Hingene, open on Sundays and holidays from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
For further information, see kasteeldursel.be