Pair Antique Tapestry Cartoons
2012-0173
(Click the Item No. for an inquiry)33 x 39 x 2
Price: $2,980.00
Location : Baton Rouge
The great tapestry houses of France and Belgium owe their existence to the graciousness of the crown, with successive kings continuing a patronage that eventually developed into an industry. In fact, King Louis XIV specifically sought out Flemish tapestries for his various chateaux and the castles he inherited, since they were considered the finest to be had in his day. Originally the tapestries were simple, and meant to soften and insulate the hard stone walls of castles, and gradually developed into the art form that they enjoy to this day. The loomers and weavers all worked from patterns, and artists would sketch then hand-color designs that, once approved, were submitted for production into tapestries. These sketches were called cartoons, and this pair has survived with remarkable color retention, and clearly show the high degree of evolution that the once-lowly tapestry has attained. Painted onto fabric with the sucre de herb pigments, the pair represents a remarkable piece of history!
Sold as a pair.
Circa 1860s.
