Prototype silk square based on a work by Marc Chagall, printed by Brochier Soieries (1958)
For the exhibition Sublimer l’étoffe. Artistes et créateurs de mode face au sacré (Sublimating Fabric: Artists and Fashion Designers in Dialogue with the Sacred), the Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs and the Musée de Fourvière are presenting two works produced by Brochier Soieries for Galerie Maeght, based on works by Joan Miró and Marc Chagall.
On display at the Musée de Fourvière from 17 September 2026 to 3 January 2027, these two pieces bear witness to an extraordinary history shared by the Lyon-based silk house, Galerie Maeght and some of the greatest artists of the 20th century — a story that began in 1953 with Joan Miró.
Joan Miró’s Constellations: an exceptional work printed on silk
For the exhibition, Brochier Soieries is lending one of the emblematic pieces from its collections: Joan Miró’s Constellations, a 120 × 120 cm silk square printed on precious silk gazar.
The first edition was produced in 1964 by Joseph Brochier for Galerie Maeght, followed thirty years later by a second edition, produced in 1994 by Cédric Brochier, once again for Galerie Maeght.
The creation of this piece illustrates the encounter between artistic creation and Lyon’s silk-making expertise: through textile printing, Miró’s work moves beyond paper or canvas to embrace the transparency and lightness of silk.
That same year, the collaboration with Galerie Maeght continued when Brochier Soieries produced two further silk prints based on works by Raoul Ubac.
Brochier, Miró and Maeght: a story that began in 1953
The collaboration between Brochier Soieries and Galerie Maeght actually dates back even further. It began in 1953, once again with a work by Joan Miró.
At the request of Aimé Maeght, Joseph Brochier took on an extraordinary technical challenge: transposing a work by Miró onto a makemono almost 11 metres long, printed on wild silk canvas.
This spectacular achievement marked the beginning of a long series of collaborations between the House and artists represented by Galerie Maeght. It also reflects a particularly fertile period during which artists, gallerists and Lyon silk makers experimented together with new ways of bringing art into the realm of textiles.
Seventy-three years later, this makemono is preserved and on display at the Musée Soieries Brochier in Lyon.
Marc Chagall: a second Brochier work in the exhibition
Sublimer l’étoffe also presents a second piece from this remarkable history: a prototype silk scarf printed from a drawing by Marc Chagall, published by Galerie Maeght and produced by Brochier Soieries on silk organza.
The first edition was produced by Joseph Brochier in 1958. The work presented in the exhibition is now part of the collections of the Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs de Lyon.
A new edition was produced in 2014 by Cédric Brochier to mark the 50th anniversary of the Fondation Maeght, continuing this historic collaboration between Brochier Soieries and Galerie Maeght more than half a century after the first printing.
When art meets silk
Through Miró and Chagall, as well as Braque, Tàpies and Ubac, the collaborations initiated with Galerie Maeght enabled Brochier Soieries to explore textiles as a genuine artistic medium from an early stage.
It is precisely this dialogue that Sublimer l’étoffe brings to light today. Silk squares, furnishing fabrics and liturgical vestments reveal how textiles allowed artists to experiment with new materials, dimensions and ways of giving form to their work.
The two pieces presented in the exhibition thus highlight an essential aspect of Brochier Soieries’ history: for more than seventy years, the House has placed the expertise of Lyon’s silk-making tradition at the service of artistic creation.
Practical information
Sublimer l’étoffe. Artistes et créateurs de mode face au sacré
17 September 2026 – 3 January 2027
Musée de Fourvière
7–8 place de Fourvière – Lyon 5th arrondissement
Open from 12:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Admission: €8 / €6
Exhibition poster © Sandrine Ziegler-Munck