LADY GODIVA, the legend comes back to life Amiens Musée de

Public restoration and showcasing 29 april - 20 June 2013
Exhibition from 21 June to 15 September 2013
AN INITIATIVE OF THE MUSEUMS OF AMIENS METROPOLE FOR THE CROSS-CHANNEL
INTERREG PROJECT “OUT OF THE BLUE - WOAD: HERITAGE AND CREATIVITY”
The museums of Amiens Métropole are fortunate to have kept in their collections a
monumental painting by Jules Lefebvre: Lady Godiva.
Exhibited at the 1890 Salon (official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in
Paris), this immense (6.2 x 3.9m) oil painting dated 1891 portrays the story of Lady Godiva,
a famous 11th century English princess. Married to Leofric, the Earl of Mercia and lord
of Coventry, she begged her husband to relieve the townspeople of the oppressive taxes
and tolls. He refused, unless she agree to ride through the town naked on horseback. Out
of respect for their lady, it is said, the townspeople stayed indoors during her ride. Jules
Lefebvre’s painting shows Lady Godiva during her ride through the deserted town.
After spending several decades in the reserve collections, the painting will be restored
in public view before being showcased once again in the Grand Salon of the Musée de
Picardie. In counterpoint, a cabinet of 40 sketches will be put on display for this event and
a contemporary artwork by Stig Evens, produced jointly with our partners in Brighton, will
shed contemporary light on the legend of Lady Godiva.
With a bearing upon several projects and long hidden from the view of visitors to the
Musée de Picardie, Lady Godiva is sure to cast its spell over you too!
Lady Godiva Cl. Claude Gheerbrant.
Amiens Musée de Picardie
LADY GODIVA, the legend comes back to life
THE MUSÉE DE PICARDIE AND ITS PARTNERS OF THE CROSS-CHANNEL INTERREG PROJECT “OUT
OF THE BLUE - WOAD: HERITAGE AND CREATIVITY”
The themes of altruism and sharing are central to the project Out of the blue and Lady Godiva,
through this act of generosity towards the Coventry townsfolk, is a shining example of these –
spanning the centuries.
In partnership with the Maison de la culture, the Museum will be taking part in the
Hortillonnages (Floating Gardens) Festival on 29 and 30 June, thanks to the “Île Perdu(e)” that
will be presenting a counterpoint to the Lady Godiva exhibition.
The libraries, Hove Museum and museums of Amiens are clubbing together to put on a
bilingual exhibition on panels for youngsters in autumn 2013.
THE MUSÉE DE PICARDIE BRANCHING OUT AND “LADY GODIVA”
The museums also explore the theme of the portrayal of women and the female gender in
an exhibition of the Musée de Picardie in the Carré noir gallery of the cultural centre Le Safran:
Autour d’un genre (A gender in the spotlight) from 25 May to 13 July 2013.
Détail Lady Godiva / Musée de Pucardie
.
BIOGRAPHY OF JULES JOSEPH LEFEBVRE
Jules Joseph Lefebvre was born in Tournan in 1836 and died in Paris in 1911. A pupil at the
Amiens School of Fine Arts, he won a scholarship from the town to continue with his studies. He
then left to study in Léon Cogniet’s studio in Paris. He was awarded the Prix de Rome at just 25
years of age for his painting The death of Priam in 1861, after exhibiting at the Salons on several
occasions. He headed to the Villa Medici in Italy the same year.
In 1870, three years after returning to France, he opened a studio and had Rochegrosse as
one of his pupils. He was awarded the French Legion of Honour the same year.
He became a teacher at the Paris School of Fine Arts in 1888 and then the Julian Academy in
1891. In 1889 he won the Grand Prix of the Paris Universal Exhibition.
Détail Lady Godiva.
Cl.. Musée de Picardie
Although the town of Coventry would offer to buy his Lady Godiva for a large sum, Lefebvre
would sell the painting to the Town of Amiens for a quarter of the price, in memory of the
support that the town lent him for his studies.
MUSÉE DE PICARDIE PROGRAMME
29 april - 20 June 2013: Public restoration
in the Grand Salon and showcasin
( Wo r k o n t h e p a i n t i n g : 2 9 / 0 4 a u 3 / 0 5 e t 2 0 / 0 5
on the frame 13,14 15,23,24 /05 et
6 / 0 6 . Wo r k o n t h e p i c t o r i a l c o a t : 2 7 / 0 5
of the painting
g
a u 2 2 / 0 5 . Wo r k
5,
au 12/06)
*Thursday 6 June at 7 p.m.: Secret of restoration
21 June to 15 September 2013: Exhibition
*Thursday 27 June at 7 p.m.: Guided tour by SC*
*Saturday 6 July at 3 p.m.:
Tour in French sign language.
The restoration of Lady Godiva by a guide-lecturer
*Sunday 7 July at 3 p.m.: Family visit. On horseback! by a guidelecturer
*Thursday 11 July at 7 p.m.: Lecture, the life and work of Jules
Lefebvre by SC*
*Thursday 8 August at 7 p.m.: Guided tour by SC*
*Thursday 22 August at 7 p.m.: Guided tour, the sketches for
Jules Lefebvre’s work by a guide-lecturer
*Saturday 7 September at 3 p.m.:
Descriptive tour adapted
for blind and sight-impaired visitors
*Wednesday 11 September from 12.15 p.m. to 1.45 p.m.: Sketchy
tour (booking required on +33 (0)3 22 97 14 00) by SC*
Musée de Picardie
48, rue de la République, 80000 Amiens FRANCE
Tel : +33 (0)3 22 97 14 00
[email protected] www.amiens.fr/musees
Press RELATIONS : [email protected]
Closed on Mondays
Tuesday, Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Non-stop day)
Thursday: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Late night opening)
Sunday: 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Closed on French public holidays except for 15 August
Détail Lady Godiva. Cl. Musée de Picardie
*Sabine Cazenave, Chief Curator, Director of Amiens Museums