17th century, Aubusson

Aubusson, 17th century

Tapestry with landscape

Silk

The first documents relating to the origin of weaving date back to around 2000 BC and are represented by wall paintings from Egyptian tombs which depict spinning and weaving operations. Only from the XNUMXth century AD did the tapestry fully assume its modern meaning and a widespread manufacture developed throughout Europe which followed the inclinations and development of the arts in the various nations and the taste of the courts, the aristocracy or the upper middle class.

The tapestry spread widely in France and Flanders in the 14th century also thanks to the commission of the royal house of France and the court of Burgundy, which had the task of weaving the series of tapestries with the Apocalypse for the cathedral of Angers. At the beginning of the 15th century the most important production center was Arras (from which the Italian name: tapestry originates).

From a technical point of view, the tapestry is a weft-dominant fabric (since the warp is not visible once the work is finished) made by hand on a loom and intended to cover walls. The preparatory drawing, the cartoon, was created by a painter who then entrusted the creation of the work to the hands of the craftsman.

The tapestry in question in terms of layout and stylistic definition was created within the Aubusson Manufacture, one of the most important centers for the production of tapestries. The origins of the Manufacture are very clear. And they date back to the 1665th century. It seems that a group of Flemish tapestry weavers moved to the Aubusson area, taking advantage of the waters of the Creuse river to wash and degrease their wool and to prepare dye colours. The presence of numerous flocks on the site encouraged these weaver workers to stop. The Flemish influence was always present in the Aubusson Manufacture: same low heddle technique and same patron saint: Saint Barbara. In the early days, vegetables were produced in Aubusson, that is, landscapes with forests, which soon became a distinctive feature of the manufacture, as in the case of the tapestry in question. In the sixteenth century, hunting scenes were woven: the unicorn, the lion, the wild boar, the deer; but also episodes taken from the Old Testament, from Mythology, from the history of France. The Aubusson Manufactory received the title of Royal Manufactory in XNUMX, thanks to the decision of the influential minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert.

In the work in question, you can admire a large landscape, created on different perspective planes. Along the edges an elegant floral interweaving motif frames the main subject. It is a rich and refined creation, of great formal quality. It should be underlined that the tapestry, already in its commission, represents a rare and complex work both for the actual material realization and for the fusion that is created between the art of painting and a craft of weaving that becomes a work of art in the creation of something unique, whose charm remains timeless.

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E.g. Total €4.500 = Monthly installment €375 for 12 months.

E.g. Total €3.600 = Monthly installment €720 for 5 months.

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