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Place of Origin: European
Late 19th Century French Aubusson Verdure Tapestry with Louis XV Style
Located in Dallas, TX
78235 Late 19th Century Antique French Aubusson Tapestry, 04'10 x 06'01. Woven in the twilight decades of the 19th century, this antique French Aubusson tapestry is a romantic echo o...
Category

Late 19th Century Aubusson Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Pretty antique Hungarian embroidery tissue
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Beautiful antique hungarian embroidered tissue fragment , with beautiful designs of flowers and with nice natural colours, entirely hand embroide...
Category

Early 19th Century Aubusson Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Silk

Pair Antique Tapestries After David Teniers the Younger
Located in Dallas, TX
Pair antique tapestries after David Teniers the Younger are designed to display side by side to create a continuous scene. The scene is a delig...
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Early 20th Century Rustic European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Wonderful Vintage French Tapestry medieval museum Design “Bûcherons”
By Jules Pansu
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Discover the elegance of this mid-century French Aubusson style tapestry made by silkscreen limited edition at Jules Pansu manufacturing , featuring the exquisite design of the reno...
Category

Mid-20th Century Aubusson European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Wall Tapestry in the style of Joan Miro
By (after) Joan Miró
Located in L’ISLE-SUR-LA-SORGUE, FR
Tapisserie murale artistique tridimensionnelle en très bon état. Art abstrait avec les formes et les couleurs bien caractéristiques de Joan Miro. Pièce unique Espagne, ca. 1970
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1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Mid-Century Modern Tapestry by Jean Picart le Doux, 'Hommage a Paul Eluard'
By Jean Picart Le Doux
Located in London, GB
This is a stunning tapestry by the well-known tapestry maker Jean Picart le Doux. It is signed on the bottom right hand side. The tapestry is named 'Homage a Paul Eluard...
Category

1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Late 19th Century French Aubusson Tapestry
Located in New York, NY
A French Aubusson mythological tapestry from the late 19th century, circa 1890, featuring the foremost of the nine muses from Greek mythology, Calliope. Calliope and the muses were t...
Category

Late 19th Century Aubusson Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

17th Century French New Testament Religious Tapestry, Marriage of Mary & Joseph
Located in New York, NY
A French religious tapestry from Paris, circa 17th century, size 11' H x 11' W. This magnificent handwoven wool and silk wall hanging envisions the marriage of the New Testament figures, Mary and Joseph, with the High Priest flanked by Mary and Joseph at center and a dove above them, and with the central figures attended by a noblewoman and a group of men, and with a mother and child seated in the right foreground. The central scene is enclosed within a border that is characterized by upper and lower central cartouches, supported by putti. It contains a star above, and the armorial of Pierre Guischard below. Six additional cartouches containing the symbols of the Evangelists run through the rest of the border, interspersed with fruiting and flowering elements, decorative swags, and birds. Pierre Guischard (1614-1701) was doctor of Theology of the Holy Faculty of Paris and Great Master of the College of Navarre in Paris, Advisor, Chaplain and King Louis 14th...
Category

17th Century Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

French Tapestry Jacquard manufatury Aubusson In The 18th Century Style, N 1452
Located in Paris, FR
French Tapestry Jacquard manufatury Aubusson In The 18th Century Style, N 1452 Manufacturer: Manufacture Jacquard in Aubusson Period: 20th century Style: 18th century greenery Condit...
Category

1980s Aubusson Vintage European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Wonderful large original modern French Aubusson tapestry by “Louis Toffoli”
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Maréchal Ferrant (Farrier) Discover the exquisite beauty of this authentic Aubusson tapestry, meticulously handwoven in the renowned Carthage workshops of Robert Four in Aubusson Fr...
Category

Mid-20th Century Aubusson European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Cotton

1880's Antique French Wool and Silk Aubusson Tapestry
Located in Dallas, TX
76928 Late 19th-Century Antique French Aubusson Verdure Tapestry, Landscape Scene Wall Hanging. This hand-woven silk and wool late 19th-century antique French Aubusson verdure tapestry depicts a landscape scene of the French countryside. Displaying dense foliage, greenery, fauna and flowers, this verdure tapestry portrays a tranquil setting. The floral scroll and bird border seamlessly blends into the pictorial scene without taking away from the majestic style. An outer border composed of a zigzag chevron add interest and a pop of color. Rendered in variegated shades of brown, ecru, taupe, pale green, slate blue, red, pink, lavender, beige and charcoal. The hues of brown range from chocolate brown to lighter shades of brown reflecting a fallow color to sand. Other colors range from ecru (greyish-pale yellow or a light greyish-yellowish brown) to old gold (yellow color that varies from light olive or olive brown) and hues of olive and sage green. With its commitment to tradition and heart full of whimsy, this antique Aubusson wall hanging...
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Late 19th Century Louis XVI Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

Bobyrug’s Nice mid century French Aubusson Tapestry by « Lartigaud »
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Discover the elegance of modern French tapestry with the exquisite "Caraïbes" design by Jean Michel Lartigaud. This limited edition masterpiece, woven in vibrant shades of orange, ye...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Cotton, Silk

Late 19th Century French Aubusson Rustic Tapestry
Located in New York, NY
A French Aubusson rustic tapestry from the late 19th century, 'Le Jeu de Colin-Maillard', ('The Blind Man’s Buff') after a cartoon by Jean-Baptiste Hue...
Category

Late 19th Century Aubusson Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Vintage European Kilim Flatwoven Rug Kelim Rug Handmade Tapestry Art Nouveau Rug
Located in New York, NY
Vintage European Kilim flat woven rug Art Nouveau Tapestry 4' x 5'2" 135cm x 158cm "This is a beautiful Vintage European Rug tapestry. This mag...
Category

1970s Art Nouveau Vintage European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Pretty Vintage French Hand Printed Tapestry Titled "the danse"
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Nice 20th century French tapestry, in style of Aubusson tapestries, with a design of a medieval museum tapestry called « La Danse » ( The Danse) and beautiful colors, hand printed on...
Category

Mid-20th Century Aubusson European Tapestries

Materials

Cotton

Tapestry by Olle Nyman, Sweden 1960s
By Olle Nyman
Located in Stockholm, SE
Tapestry by Olle Nyman, Sweden 1960s H: 232 cm / 7' 7 3/8" L: 127.5 cm / 4' 2 3/16"
Category

1960s Vintage European Tapestries

Materials

Tapestry

French Vintage Tapestry Wall Hanging Gallant Scene
By JP Paris Panneaux Gobelins
Located in Barntrup, DE
French Vintage Tapestry Gallant Scene by JP Paris Panneaux Gobelins from the late 20th century. A beautiful French tapestry, wall hanging in Aubusson style, within a flower border fe...
Category

1970s Rococo Vintage European Tapestries

Materials

Fabric, Cotton

Pretty fine large antique french Aubusson tapestry
By Royal Manufacture of Aubusson
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Very beautiful late 19th century French Aubusson tapestry with a nice design of a village, with nature, trees, birds, a river, chickens. a mill on the edge of the river, village hous...
Category

Late 19th Century Aubusson Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

17th Century Flemish Tapestry Panel
By Aubusson Manufacture
Located in Canterbury, GB
A Flemish Figural Tapestry Panel Dating from late 17th century Hand woven in naturally dyed wools and silks Depicting a Maiden playing a musical instrument within a garden setting...
Category

17th Century Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

16th Century Brussels Tapestry 5980y
Located in Los Angeles, US
16th Century Brussels Tapestry great condition beautiful color and design
Category

16th Century Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Antique French Aubusson Verdure Tapestry
Located in Dallas, TX
77764, antique French Verdure tapestry. This hand-woven antique French Aubusson verdure tapestry depicts a landscape scene of the French countryside. ...
Category

Early 20th Century Medieval European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Large Antique Flemish Tapestry Antique Tapestry Verdure Wool & Silk 1850
Located in New York, NY
Rare Mid 1800's Antique Flemish Tapestry Fine wool & silk beige 7'1" x 8'8" (216cm x 264cm) Circa 1850 "This is a very fine Authentic Antique Flemish Tapestry in Wool & Silk hunti...
Category

1850s Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

1970s Tapestry by Claude Prévost
By Claude Prevost
Located in Renens, CH
Rare “Brouillard” tapestry from the 1970s by Claude Prévost, the renowned French upholsterer and collaborator of Pierre Cardin. Colored wools. Monogrammed C. P. in the weft in the lo...
Category

1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Jewish Tapestry Depicting Lots Flight From Sodom, Flemish 18th Century
Located in Charleston, SC
Notable 18th century Flemish Tapestry Depicting the Biblical Account (Genesis 19) of Lots Flight from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with Lot...
Category

18th Century Renaissance Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

19th Century Italian Religious Banner Ave Maria Oliograph with Tassels Rare
Located in Firenze, Toscana
Beautiful oleograph of Mary and Jesus. Flowers on border. On bottom reads "Ave Maria". Embroidery still in great shape with gold thread. Original wonderful big tassels and bar on top...
Category

19th Century Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Canvas

18th Century Antique French Tapestry Verdure Wool & Silk 7x11ft 213cm x 323cm
Located in New York, NY
18th Century Antique French Tapestry Verdure Wool & Silk 7x11ft 213cm x 323cm "This is very fine antique Flemish tapestry made of wool & silk depicting noblemen beneath a large verd...
Category

1690s Baroque Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

Memories of a Panorama 02 Wall Hanging
By Kiki van Eijk, Kiki & Joost
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Original artwork from Kiki van Eijk. These tapestries are reminiscent of Dutch landscapes in which the center of each piece is a tree, woven from gold thread. Each panorama aims to ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Antique 17th Century Flemish Verdure Tapestry with Children
Located in New York, NY
This is a gorgeous antique 17th century Flemish Verdure Tapestry depicting the noble children playing in the woods. The p...
Category

Late 17th Century Baroque Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Tapestry

French Aubusson Tapestry 19th - Champetre Scene - L 1m90 X H 1m55 - N° 1417
By Aubusson Manufacture, Royal Manufacture of Aubusson
Located in Paris, FR
A stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower We are a family business specializing in the purchase, sale and expertise of old, modern and contemporary tapestries, rugs, kilims and textiles....
Category

1860s Aubusson Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

A Large Modernist Abstract Tapestry by Mathieu Mategot
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Atlanta, GA
A modernist wool woven tapestry designed by French artist and designer Mathieu Mategot (1910-2001) circa 1960s. The piece is signed with Matégot and monogrammed TMP fino (Manufactur...
Category

1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage European Tapestries

Materials

Canvas, Wool

18th Century Set of Two Aubusson Door Tapestries
By Aubusson Manufacture
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
Step into a world of timeless beauty with these exquisite Aubusson tapestries ! Imagine adorning your home with these stunning door curtains that depict the enchanting seasons of Spr...
Category

18th Century Régence Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

17th Century Aubusson Verdure Bleue Tapestry depicting The Grape Harvest
Located in Dallas, TX
In 1665, Louis XIV gave workshops in Aubusson (France) the royal charter, making them responsible for producing tapestries for the King and nobility. A beautiful example of such an Aubusson tapestry is our verdure bleue wall hanging that depicts four grape harvest...
Category

17th Century Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Textile, Wool, Silk

19th Century Italian Religious Banner Mary Jesus Oliograph Crowns Tassels
Located in Firenze, Toscana
Beautiful oleograph of Mary and Jesus with crowns. Original tassels and bar on top and bottom to keep a good weight for hanging. Found in a private chapel in a villa, here in Italy....
Category

19th Century Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Canvas

Handwoven Wool Colour Block Wood-Framed Artwork
By Pamela Print
Located in Chelmsford, GB
This striking contemporary piece of Handwoven textile art comes framed and can be hung either as a portrait or landscape piece. Handwoven on a dobby loom in Pamela's studio using a ...
Category

2010s Mid-Century Modern European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Pretty antique French Aubusson style Jacquard Tapestry, by ludovico marchetti
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Elevate your space with a stunning antique Aubusson-style tapestry from the early 20th century. Meticulously woven on a jacquard loom using a blend of luxurious wool and cotton, this...
Category

Early 20th Century Aubusson European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Jean Picart Le Doux "nocturne" - French Aubusson Tapestry - No. 1428
By Jean Picart Le Doux, Aubusson Manufacture
Located in Paris, FR
A stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower We are a family business specializing in the purchase, sale and expertise of old, modern and contemporary tapestries, rugs, kilims and textiles....
Category

Mid-20th Century Aubusson European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Large Late 17th Century French Tapestry of Artemis and Callisto
Located in LYON, FR
During the 17th and 18th century Greek mythology was a common theme depicted in high-end French tapestries. Particularly Louis XIV who was very interested in depicting scenes from Gr...
Category

Late 17th Century Louis XIV Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Zabihi Collection Mid 18th Century French Tapestry of Charlemagne
Located in New York, NY
Beauvais, France. Depicts arrival at a castle, royal horse being heralded by trumpeter and escorted by two guards, continuous floral border and two minor borders. Linen and wool slit weave Beauvais technique with natural indigo, weld, walnut husk, tannin variegated, lichen and moss greens. Condition: Good. Original border intact, minor repair and protective reconstruction with back added as structural safeguard. Some areas with holes, some areas of repair to border. Measures: 8'7'' wide x 10'1'' long. Tapestries make integral part of the Flemish cultural heritage. Most of the tapestries have religious, mythological and historical subjects as well as hunting and harvest scenes. They are known for their high quality and extended use of colors. The oldest ones were made in the 13th century. The most important production centers were Doornik and Arras. These two centers got a lot of assignments of the Dukes of Burgundy. In the 14th century tapestries...
Category

18th Century French Provincial Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Verdure tapestry Manufacture Aubusson - 19th century - L1m15xH1m24 - No. 1426
By Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Aubusson Manufacture
Located in Paris, FR
A stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower We are a family business specializing in the purchase, sale and expertise of old, modern and contemporary tapestries, rugs, kilims and textiles....
Category

Late 19th Century Aubusson Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

17th Century Monumental Tapestry/Gobelin Audience with the King in Antiquity
Located in Berlin, DE
17th Century Monumental Tapestry/Gobelin Audience with the King in Antiquity Extremely beautiful antique Gobelein tapestry, France probably arou...
Category

17th Century Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

17th Century Antique Flemish Verdure Tapestry w/ Trees & bird
Located in New York, NY
An antique 17th century Flemish Verdure Landscape Tapestry An antique 17th century Flemish verdure landscape tapestry, size: 7.4 H x 4.9 W. This fine handwoven European wall hanging...
Category

17th Century Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

19th Century Aubusson Tapestry
By Aubusson Manufacture
Located in LYON, FR
Beautifully vivid, 1860-1870 Hand-woven Aubusson French Tapestry. Bought in St Ouen Paris. Warm fresh earthy tones, with amazing detail all in excellent condition. This piece has ha...
Category

1860s Medieval Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

18th Century Aubusson Verdure Tapestry
By Aubusson Manufacture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
18th Century European Hand-Woven Aubusson Verdure Tapestry depicting a woodland nature scene. Made in France circa 18th Century. Finely woven with cloth backing.
Category

18th Century Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Tapestry, Wool

Pretty Vintage Aubusson Style medieval museum design Jacquard Tapestry
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
very beautiful Aubusson style tapestry, with a design of a medieval Rhenish tapestry (1480-1490) Basel (Switzerland), representing a royal court of France, the arms of France, with b...
Category

Mid-20th Century Aubusson European Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Late 17th Century French Aubusson Allegorical Tapestry
Located in New York, NY
A French Aubusson “Louis XIV” allegorical tapestry from the late 17th or early 18th century, depicting an allegory of Spring, with Flora crowned b...
Category

Late 17th Century Aubusson Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Large Antique 17th Century Brussels Religious Tapestry
By Flemish
Located in New York, NY
This is a large gorgeous Large Antique 17th Century Brussels Religious Tapestry depicting a scene with a bishop and attendants standing on the right, along with kneeling and standing...
Category

17th Century Baroque Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Tapestry, Wool

17th Century French Aubusson Historical Tapestry
Located in New York, NY
A French Aubusson historical tapestry from the late 17th-early 18th century, depicting a knight embracing a woman in classical dress, beside a man carrying a sword on horseback, a wo...
Category

17th Century Aubusson Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Midcentury Woven Frame Tapestry, 1950s
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made in Czechoslovakia - Made of fabric - Good, original condition.
Category

1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage European Tapestries

Materials

Fabric

18th Century Italian Silk & Silver Metallic Thread Lampas Brocade Panel
Located in Rochester, NY
An exceptional and fine hand woven 18th century Italian silk and silver metallic thread lampas brocade panel with beautiful aged original color. Red silk backing w/ attached strip of...
Category

Early 18th Century Renaissance Antique European Tapestries

Materials

Metallic Thread

Tapestry Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period 1738 at the Gobelins
By Aubusson Manufacture
Located in Madrid, ES
Tapestry from the Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period , made in 1738 at the Gobelins One panel from a series of Gobelins tapestries depicting the History of Esther, illustrating Esther seated and attended by handmaidens, one washing her feet in golden basin, another fastening a bracelet, another offering a mirror, all observed by Mordecai, woven in the workshop of Michele Audran after a design by J. F. de Troy. The Toilet of Esther c.1778-85.Royal Collection Trust-Queens Audience Chamber Windsor Castle The Sketches for the Esther Cycle by Jean-François de Troy (1736) “and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mor’decai, ..., took for his own daughter.” (Est. 2:7) A supple and undulating genius, both a flattering portraitist and a prolix history painter, as well as a brilliant genre painter, in a gallant or worldly vein, Jean-François de Troy (Paris, 1679 – Rome, 1752), solicited, although he had passed the threshold of old age, a new royal commission up to his ambitions. To obtain it, he submitted – successfully - for the approval of the Bâtiments du roi (administration), seven modelli painted in 1736 with his usual alacrity. Inspired by one of the most novelistic texts of the Old Testament, the Book of Esther, these sketches in a rapid and virtuoso manner were transformed by the artist, between 1737 and 1740 into large cartoons intended to serve as models for the weavers of the Gobelins factory. Showing undeniable ease and skill in the composition in perfect harmony with the sensitivities of the times, the tapestry set met with great success. The Story of Esther perfectly corresponded to the plan of the Bâtiments du roi to renew the repertoire of tapestry models used for the weavers of the royal factories while it also conformed to the tastes of Louis XV’s subjects for a fantastical Orient, the set for a dramatic tale in which splendour, love and death were combined. Indeed, no tapestry set was woven in France during the 18th century as often as that of Esther. The series of modelli painted by de Troy during the year 1736 looks to the history of French painting and decoration under Louis XV as much as it does the history of the Gobelins. It probably counts among the most important rococo pictorial groups to have remained in private hands. First the Biblical source illustrated by De Troy which constitutes the base of one of the richest iconographical traditions of Western art will be considered. Then the circumstances and specific character of French civilisation during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV which contributed to making the theme of Esther a relevant subject, both attractive to contemporaries and remarkably in line with the sensitivities of the time will be elucidated. An examination of the exceptional series of sketches united here, the cartoons and the tapestries that they anticipate as well as a study of their reception will close this essay. The Book of Esther: A scriptural source at the source of rich iconography. The origin of the Esther tapestry set by Jean-François de Troy – origin and creation of a masterpiece According to the evidence of one of the artist’s early biographers, the chevalier de Valory, author of a posthumous elegy of the master, read at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture on 6 February 1762, it was apparently due to early16 rivalry with François Lemoyne (1688-1737), his younger colleague who had precisely just been appointed First Painter to the King in 1736, that had encouraged François de Troy to seek a commission allowing him to show off his ease and his promptitude at the expense of a rival who was notoriously laborious: “M. De Troy, retaining some resentment of the kind of disadvantage which he believed to have suffered compared with his emulator looked to regain some territory by making use of the facility his rival did not possess. Lemoyne was excessively long in the creation of his works,and M. De Troy of a rare celerity: consequently, with this particular talent, the latter offered to the court to make paintings appropriate to be executed at the Gobelins Factory; and it is to this circumstance that we owe the beautiful series of the Story of Esther, which would be sufficient alone to give him a great reputation.”17 Beyond the suspicion inspired by the topos, which still constitutes, more or less, a tale of rivalries between artists in ancient literature, there is probably some truth in what Valory reports although A.-J. Dezalier d’Argenville (who indicates rather spitefully that de Troy did not hesitate to “cut prices” to impose himself, benefitting from the productivity assured by the unlikely rapidity of his brush)18 proves to be more evasive: “As he looked to busy himself, he had offered to make the paintings that serve as models for the King’s tapestries cheaply: which did not please his colleagues. He was given a choice of two tapestry series to be made and he took the Story of Esther and that of Jason”.19 Whether or not the choice was actually left to de Troy (which would appear rather casual on the royal administration’s part all the same), it seems likely that the artist, whose contemporaries extol his “fire”, as the faculty of invention was then called, must have ardently aspired to the possibility of using on a very large scale the “creative genius” with which Dezallier d’Argenville credits him. The decoration of the private apartments, the fashion for which Louis XV had promoted at Versailles and Fontainebleau, offered little opportunity to excel in this area. Other than painting for altarpieces, only tapestries could allow comparison with Lemoyne who had been granted – unfortunately for him – a major decoration: the enormous ceiling of the Hercules Room at Versailles. Favoured by the recent improvement in France’s financial situation, the revival of patronage offered de Troy a commission fitting for him, in a field in which, however, he had hardly any experience. Anxious to renew the repertoire of models available to the Gobelins factory, the Duc d’Antin, surintendant des Bâtiments du roi from 1708 to 1736 followed by his successor, Philibert Orry comte de Vignory, gave him the task of producing seven large cartoons inspired by the Book of Esther corresponding to the brilliant sketches or modelli which de Troy had produced in one go, or almost (very few preparatory drawings can in fact be linked to the Esther cycle and all seem to be at the execution stage of the cartoons).20 Subjected to the approval of the Administration des Bâtiments according to the procedure in use for projects being planned for the Gobelins, sketches made rapidly during 1736 were approved and the project launched immediately. Thereupon came the news of François Lemoyne’s death, who, ground down by work and a victim of his private torment, committed suicide on 4 June 1737. Against all expectations, de Troy did not replace his rival in the position of First Painter (which remained vacant until the appointment of Charles Coypel in January 1747), which would perhaps have made him too obviously the beneficiary of the drama. The awarding of the position of Director of the French Academy in Rome came to console him while he had already produced (or he was in the process of finishing), in Paris, three of the seven cartoons of the cycle (The Fainting of Esther finished in 1737 and the Toilet and Coronation of Esther, both finished in 1738). De Troy, we can see, did not follow the order of the narrative but began with the subjects which apparently offered the least difficulty because he had already depicted them, or because they fall into a strong pictorial tradition (such is the case especially for the Fainting of Esther). He had hardly settled at the Palazzo Mancini in August 1738, when his first task which awaited the new director of the French Academy naturally consisted of honouring the royal commission and finishing without delay the final cartoons of the Story of Esther after the sketches he must have taken with him. As prompt as ever, de Troy discharged himself of the execution of the four remaining cartoons in only two years, by beginning with the largest format which allowed him to strike the imagination and to impose himself as soon as he arrived on the Roman stage: the Triumph of Mor’decai which was finished in 1739 (like Esther’s Banquet). The following year, the Mor’decai's Disdain and The Sentencing of Haman were brought to an end in the same Neo-Venetian style, obviously tributary to Veronese with its choice of “open” monumental architecture which is characteristic of the entire cycle.21 The series, it should be noted, was almost augmented with some additional scenes in the mid 1740s. Indeed, the first tapestry set finished at the Gobelins in 1744 proved to be unsuitable for the arrangement of the Dauphine’s apartments at Versailles for which it had been intended to decorate the walls the following year (cf infra). Informed of this, de Troy, considering that the story of Esther offered “several good subjects,” immediately offered to illustrate one or new subject among those “which could appear to be the most interesting”. The directeur des Bâtiments Orry, who managed the State’s accounts, obviously judged it less costly to have one of the tapestries widened to fill in the end of the Dauphine’s bedroom,22 which has probably deprived us of very original compositions, because de Troy had already illustrated the most famous themes, those that benefitted from a strongly established iconographical tradition and from which it was not easy to deviate The Tapestry Set of the Story of Esther Placed on the tapestry looms of the Gobelins at the end of the 1730s in Michel Audran’s workshop, the cycle created by de Troy aroused true infatuation. The few hundred tapestries made between 1738 and 1797 – all in high-warp tapestry and woven in wool and silk except for four in low-warp made in Neilson’s workshop – show the impressive success of a tapestry set that was without any doubt the most frequently woven of the 18th century in France. 29 Only three cartoons had been delivered by de Troy in 1738 when the first tapestry set was begun by Audran under the expert eye of Jean-Baptiste Oudry to whom the Directeur général des bâtiments, Philibert Orry had assigned the (weekly) supervision of the weaving. During the summer of 1738, the piece of the Fainting of Esther, which Oudry judged to be admirable, was finished. During the winter of 1742, Oudry informed Orry that about two ells of the Triumph of Mor’decai had been made “with no faults”,that the Coronation of Esther was finished and that the Esther at her Toilet “a very gracious tapestry” was “a little over half” finished. Exhibited at Versailles in 1743, these two last pieces were admired by Louis XV and the Court. On 3 December 1744, the set of seven tapestries was finally delivered to the Garde Meuble. It was intended, the honour was not slight, to decorate the apartments of the Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain whose marriage to the young Dauphin Louis-Ferdinand had been fixed for the following year (it took place on 23 February 1745). Apparently it was thought that the theme of Esther the biblical heroine and wife of a foreign sovereign was appropriate for the apartments of the Spanish Dauphine. As early as the month of March, the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel informed de Troy that her grand cabinet was decorated with the “Esther tapestry set” specifying however that “for lack of two small or one large piece, we have not been able to decorate the end of the room”. This difficulty led immediately to the Banquet episode being woven a second time in two parts (they were delivered to the Garde-Meuble on 30 December 1746) to garnish the panels on each side of the bed of the Dauphine who would hardly enjoy them (she died on 22 July 1746 and the decoration was installed for the new Dauphine Maria Josepha of Saxony). The appearance of the set’s remarkable border, which imitated a richly sculpted wooden frame, should be mentioned. Conceived in 1738 by the ornamentalist Pierre Josse-Perrot and used in the later weavings until 1768, it tended to reinforce the resolutely painterly appearance of the tapestry set which, in this regard, pushed the art of tapestry as far as its ultimate mimetic possibilities. With the exception of Mor’decai's Disdain which had been removed earlier, the “editio princeps” of the story of Esther (from then on in nine pieces) remained at Versailles until the Revolution. Of the eight surviving tapestries, four are at the chateau of Compiègne and four belong today to the Mobilier National. No less than seven tapestry sets reputed to be complete (one of them in fact only had six tapestries) would be produced officially at the Gobelins up to 1772. Literature: 1- The Œuvres mêlées of an emulator of Racine, the Abbé Augustin NADAL thus include an Esther. Divertissement spiritual which is exactly contemporary with Jean François de Troy’s cycle since it was performed in 1735 and published in Paris three years later. 2-Le Siècle de Louis XIV, 1751, 1785 ed., p. 96-97 for French ed. 3- Lemoyne and de Troy had been obliged to share the First Prize in the competition organised in 1727 between the most prominent history painters of the Académie Royale. 4- Mémoires…, pub. L. DUSSIEUX et al., 1854, II, p.265. 5-The fact that de Troy, at the risk of falling out with his colleagues, did not hesitate to make use of prices in order to convince the new directeur des Bâtiments Philibert Orry, is confirmed by Mariette who adds tersely “it caused much shouting” (pub. 1851-1860, II, p. 103). 6- Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintres…, ed. 1762, IV, p. 368-369 20 Early comments on the painter are inclined to present him as a kind of “pure painter”, doing without the medium of drawing, a few intermediary studies between the Esther sketches and the large cartoons at the Louvre nevertheless show that de Troy used red chalk (see in the catalogue, the notice for the Meal of Esther and Ahasuerus under the entry drawing) to change one or other figure. 7-C. GASTINEL-COURAL (cat. exp. PARIS, 1985, p. 9-13) as well as the article by J. VITTET, exh. cat. LA ROCHE-GUYON, 2001, p. 51-55. 8-The Hermitage in St. Petersburg conserves five tapestries of these two royal gifts whose provenance still awaits elucidation (as far as we are aware). In 1766, the Grand Marshal of Russia, Count Razumovski (or Razamowski), acquired the Fainting and the Banquet extracted from the sixth weaving (J. VITTET, 2001, p. 53). 9- Lettres écrites de Suisse, d’Italie…,quoted by J. VITTET, op. cit., p. 54. 10-The tapestry set remained in the hands of a branch of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family until 1933 (ibid. P. 54). 11-Quoted by Chr. LERIBAULT, 2002, p. 97, note 269. 12-Y. CANTAREL-BESSON, 1992, p. 241. Catalogue The Esther at her Toilet Oil on canvas, 57 x 51 cm Provenance: Painted in 1736 at the same time as the six other modelli of the Story of Esther intended to be presented, for approval, to the direction des Bâtiments du Roi; perhaps identifiable among a lot of sketches by Jean-François de Troy in the post mortem inventory of the amateur, historian and critic Claude-Henri Watelet (1718-1786) drawn up on 13 January 1786 and following days (A.N. T 978, n° 30) then in the sale of the property of the deceased, Paris, 12 June 1786, n° 33; Paris, François Marcille Collection (who owned a series of six sketches from which the Triumph of Mor’decai was missing, see infra); Paris, Marcille Sale, Hôtel Drouot, 12-13 January 1857, n° 36; Asnières, Mme de Chavanne de Palmassy ( ?) collection; Paris, Galerie Cailleux; Paris, Humbert de Wendel collection (acquired from the Galerie Cailleux in 1928); by inheritance in the same family; Paris, Sotheby’s, 23 June 2011, n° 61. In order not to add unnecessarily to the technical commentary on each work, the catalogue raisonné by Chr. Leribault which contains a substantial bibliography on the series should be referred to. The other bibliographical references only concern the publications and exhibitions to have appeared and been presented more recently. Bibliography and Exhibitions: Chr. LERIBAULT, 2002, n° P. 247 (repr.); E. LIMARDO DATURI, 2004, p. 28; Exh. cat. NANTES, 2011, p. 138, n° 34, referred to in note 1; Sotheby’s catalogue, Tableaux anciens et du XIXe siècle, 23 June 2011, n° 61 (repr.). Related Works: Tapestry cartoon: The cartoon (oil on canvas, 329 x 320 cm), the third made by the artist in Paris after the sketches had been approved by the direction des Bâtiments, is in the Louvre (Inv. 8315). It previously bore the painter’s signature and the date 1738 (inscriptions which are found on the tapestries). The royal administration paid 1600 livres for it on 21 June 1738 and it was exhibited at the Salon in the year of its creation. Summary Biography 1679 (27 January): Baptism in Paris (Parish of St. Nicolas du Chardonnet) of Jean-François de Troy, son of the painter François de Troy and Jeanne Cotelle, sister of the painter Jean II Cotelle. 1696-1698: Studies (apparently rather turbulent) at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. 1698-1708: First trip to Italy. Is obliged to leave Rome in January 1711 after a tempestuous affair (a duel?), de Troy extends the traditional Roman experience as a pensionnaire at the Académie de France by also visiting Tuscany where he stays for a long time, Venice (his art in face has a strongly Venetian character) and Genoa. 1708: De Troy (whose father had been elected Director of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture on 7 July) is agréé and immediately received at the Académie with Apollo and Diana Piercing with their Arrows the Children of Niobe (Montpellier, Musée Fabre) on 28 July. 1710: First royal commission, paid for on 10 May (a sketch representing “the Promotion of the Order of the Holy Spirit” for the tapestry series of the History of the King). 1716: Jean-François de Troy is elected Assistant Professor at the Academy. 1720: He is appointed Professor. 1723: The artist creates the double portrait of Louis XV...
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