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The Offering of the Heart, Arras, ca. 1400-1410, Wool tapestry, 245 x 210 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris
The Offering of the Heart, Arras, ca. 1400-1410, Wool tapestry, 245 x 210 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris
Marija Jaensch
The Offering of the Heart, 2024
Murano glass (clear and red)
varying dimensions
MJ005
Photo: Francesco Allegretto
In her first exploration of glass as a material, Marija Jaensch draws inspiration from a medieval tapestry depicting a courtly scene in an enclosed garden, known as 'The Offering of...
In her first exploration of glass as a material, Marija Jaensch draws inspiration from a medieval tapestry depicting a courtly scene in an enclosed garden, known as 'The Offering of the Heart'. Made in Northern France around 1400 and now at the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the Gothic wall hanging presents a nobleman offering his heart to a lady, surrounded by stylized trees with fantastic colourful foliage and lush vegetation against a dark blue background, creating the characteristic millefleurs style typical of medieval tapestries. Jaensch's installation consists of five leafless trees in translucent glass, directly traced from the distinctive silhouettes found in the tapestry, their naked forms creating an ethereal interpretation of the medieval landscape. Above this bare arrangement, a red glass heart suspended from the ceiling transforms the courtly scene into pure symbolic form. By removing the figures and placing an isolated heart at the centre, viewers are invited to take on the role of offering the heart and to apply their own experiences onto the scene. This contemporary meditation on presence and absence creates a space where narrative gives way to personal contemplation.
Exhibitions
‘Glass Art in Dialogue / Arte del vetro in dialogo. Marjia Jaensch & Amy Thai’. Palazzo Barovier&Toso, Murano, Venice, 13 Feb. – 8 June 2025.Join our mailing list
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