Gobelin

c. 1945

Gobelin, c. 1945. Hanna Ingrid Elisabet Jobs (Swedish, 1914–1995), Jobs Handtryck (Swedish, est. 1944). Plain weave bleached linen, loom width, printed; overall: 129.2 x 111.1 cm (50 7/8 x 43 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Harold T. Clark Educational Extension Fund 1952.180 In the mid-1940s, Ingrid Jobs, affectionately called “Gocken,” began experimenting with folklore motifs in her designs. Through its pastel colors and representations of apple trees, Gobelin looks distinctly Swedish. Symbols of Sweden’s rich cultural heritage abound throughout the composition, such as the small Dala horse in the cabinet hutch and the vignette of Swedish dancers celebrating the midsummer festival. The title alludes to the French tapestry maker Gobelin, the Swedish word for tapestry “gobeläng” as well as the designer’s nickname “Gocken.”