Liriodendron Exhibit – Soft Paintings: Hooked Rugs from the Eric Gordon Collection

The Liriodendron is thrilled to host an exhibit of antique hooked rugs from the collection of Eric Gordon from April 12 through June 24.

The retired Head of Paintings Conservation at The Walters Art Museum, Eric has accumulated and restored more than 100 pieces of this uniquely North American folk art. Our galleries hosted an exhibition of his stunning pieces in 2022, and we’re excited for him to share a new selection this time, along with a few old favorites.

Approximately thirty‐five “soft paintings” from Gordon’s collection, dating back to the nineteenth century, and featuring figurative, geometric, and floral designs, will be featured in this exhibit which opens on Sunday, April 12 from 11 am to 3 pm. The rugs will be on view each Wednesday from 1 to 6 pm through June 23, as well as on Sundays, May 10 and June 14 from 11 am to 3 pm.

Don’t miss this very special collection!

Appointments may also be made for private tours and viewing by calling 410-879-4424 or emailing info@liriodendron.com

Please note that, due to the historic nature of the Liriodendron, the 2nd floor galleries require climbing stairs.

About the Artist

Eric Gordon, originally from upstate New York, retired four years ago as Head of Painting Conservation at the Walters Art Museum after thirty-six years. He attended Brandeis University, majoring in studio art and art history, and earned masters’ degrees at New York University in art history and conservation. After working at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC, The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada and the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA, he moved to Baltimore in 1985. At the Walters, he specialized in the treatment of Italian Renaissance and nineteenth-century paintings. He received a Rome Prize at the American Academy in Rome and a fellowship at I Tatti, the Harvard Renaissance library in Florence, Italy. He continues treating paintings privately in Baltimore.

It was in Toronto in 1981 that he discovered hooked rugs. His first purchase featured a deer poised in front of a tree with enormous leaves set within crimson Victorian scrollwork. It looked like a page from a children’s book and lay by his bed to warm his feet. Soon after, walking down Queen Street, he noticed through a shop window, a large rug of a logger passing a roadside cross on a horse-drawn cart. The striking composition, size, price and fact that it was made of bits of cloth, immediately appealed to him. This purchase started his collection. Through the years, he educated himself through conversations with dealers, the occasional article or book and began looking for rugs with strong graphic, geometric or pictorial appeal. He found rugs at flea markets, junk shops, vintage stores, auctions, and later, online. With a background in conservation, he was able to acquire interesting rugs in less than perfect condition and restore them himself. Buying a few rugs every few years, he has amassed a large collection and is starting to deaccession, a tough process as “each one is my favorite.”