The past inspires the present. In art, design, film and wider culture – there are countless examples of this, with an stunning demonstration now on show at the ground-breaking new exhibition Cartier, Islamic Inspiration and Modern Design, on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi between November 16, 2023, to 24 March, 2024.
A spectacular showcase of more than 400 pieces of works will be on display to the public, telling the story of the historical impact that Islamic art played in the development of fashion and culture in Paris (and the wider world) at the beginning of the 20th century.
The collection is a curation of works from a ground-breaking partnership between Louvre Abu Dhabi, partner museums, the Cartier Collection and private collections, that come together to explore more than a century of Islamic artistic influence.
This exhibition builds upon a project titled Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity (Paris-Dallas 2021-2022), which was initially conceived and co-organised by the Dallas Museum of Art and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, with the exceptional collaboration of the Musée du Louvre and the support of Maison Cartier.
At the turn of the 20th century, Louis Cartier, grandson of the founder of the French Maison, was deeply intrigued by these artistic traditions that he discovered in the Parisian art market. In search of new sources of inspiration, he enriched the Maison’s study library making his personal collection of Islamic art available to the Maison’s designers.
“Islamic art has played a significant and structural impact on Cartier’s creative language since the beginning of the 20th century,” said Pierre Rainero, Image, Style and Heritage Director at Cartier. “The vocabulary continues to grow today, thanks to the richness of geometric patterns and their many combinations. This exhibition underscores the living language of the Cartier style, and in turn highlights how important jewellery is to the artistic field. Cartier’s true pioneering spirit is also revealed, along with the role the Maison played in the birth of modernity at the start of the 20th century.”
The exhibition’s chapters explore the Maison’s sources of inspiration and its creative process through more than 400 objects from the collections of Louvre Abu Dhabi, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Musée du Louvre, and Cartier Collection and Archives, as well as exceptional loans from Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la ville de Paris and other lenders, spanning masterpieces of Islamic art, jewellery, drawings, design sketches, miniatures, textiles, photographs and archival material.
“Cross-cultural influence has always been central to the narrative of Louvre Abu Dhabi, evident in both our permanent galleries and temporary exhibitions,” says Guilhem André, Acting Director of Curatorial, Scientific and Collection Management Department at
Louvre Abu Dhabi. The newly opened Cartier, Islamic Inspiration and Modern Design exhibition is a prime example of this, showcasing how the past continues to inspire the present.
For more info about the exhibition and to book tickets, visit louvreabudhabi.ae