Masterpiece of the Week: July; Vincennes; The Months; The Royal Residences, 1670-1700

Les Maisons Royales:  Vincennes
Tapestry, 1670-1700
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made between 1670 and 1700, this tapestry is one of a series which represented twelve of the royal residences of France’s Louis XIV—each depicted during a different month of the year. While the subjects were the palaces themselves, these were set in the backgrounds of the compositions while scenes of the luxury and wealth of Royal life took center stage.

The initial concept for the series of “Les Maisons Royales” was the idea of Le Brun, however, the tapestries were made and designed by a variety of artists in the workshop of Lefebvre and Jans. Seven complete sets were made until 1713.

This one, a tapestry of woven wool and silk, shows a woman surrounded by ripe fruit and two large, blue parrots. Elegant outdoor furnishings, exotic birds, an unidentifiable animal with a snout, and a curious dog complete the scene which is meant to frame a depiction of King Louis XIV and his courtiers hunting at the Château de Vincennes. This work was meant to represent “July.”

Unusual Artifacts: The Sheldon Tapestry Book Cover, 1615

Tapestry Book Cover
Sheldon Tapestry Works, 1615
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Books in general, until recently, were highly-valued objects which were treated with the utmost respect. Most upper class Seventeenth Century households would proudly display and protect their precious books, especially the family Bible. The expensive and intricate bindings of books were often protected with ornate covers made from a variety of materials.

This book cover dates to about 1615 and is constructed of a particularly expensive bit of tapestry. Tapestry, though more costly, would have worn better than the more common embroidery protective covers. The tapestry was professionally made of silk and metal thread and is adorned with biblical scenes.

Made in Warwickshire, England, by the Sheldon Tapestry Works the cover’s front shows a square cartouche depicting “Moses and the Burning Bush,” with the presence of God indicated by the word DEUS which appears in a cloud. A similar cartouche graces the back and shows Jonah emerging from the Whale. A golden star surrounded by a cloud adorns the spine.

Her Majesty's Furniture: The Wakefield Tapestry Chair, C. 1750

Part of an impressive suite which consisted of at least five armchairs and a sofa, this tapestry armchair was designed to show off the taste and wealth of the owner, and would probably have been displayed prominently in a drawing room or ornate reception room.

The suite was sold by Richard Wright and Edward Elwick of Wakefield, Yorkshire, who were working between 1745 and 1771--the pre-eminent firm of cabinet-makers and upholsterers in Yorkshire at that time. The chair's gilt frame is adorned with carved fish scales and acanthus leaves.

It was made for William Wentworth, 4th Earl of Strafford (1722-1791), for Wentworth Castle, Yorkshire. The Duchess of Northumberland wrote that she saw "French chairs emb'd [embroidered] with flowers upon Brown by the famous Mr Wright" upon a visit to Wentworth Castle in 1760.

The Home Beautiful: A Section of the Portières des Dieux, 1740-1760

Tapestry Panel
Gobelins, 1740-1760
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The famed Portières des Dieux series, designed by Claude Audran III (1658-1734) was made by the French royal tapestry manufactory, the Gobelins. The celebrated series of woven silk and wool panels depicts the four seasons and the four elements. So popular was the series that it was rewoven numerous times between 1700 and 1789.

This panel depicts Saturn, the God of agriculture who was often employed as an allegory for winter. Saturn’s feast—Saturnalia—was celebrated during the month of December, and, in fact, many of the traditions associated with Saturnalia have been borrowed for Christmas.

Here, Saturn is shown, seated in profile. He holds his attribute, the scythe of the harvest. From beneath, two putti come forth from clouds, blowing the first snows of winter. The group is framed by foliate, fruit-bearing garlands and arabesques.

Pierre-François Cozette (1714-1801) served as the maker of this original panel for Gobelins between 1740 and 1760. Claude Audran III (1658 -1734) was the designer. The entire series also includes scenes of Diana, Neptune, Jupiter, Bacchus, Venus, Ceres and Juno, each with his or her respective attributes.

The Home Beautiful: The Queen Victoria Tapestry, 1877

Tapestry
Royal Windsor Tapestry Co., 1877
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Some art historians believe that this portrait of Queen Victoria is the first tapestry which was ever woven at the Royal Windsor Tapestry Company. The portrait is based on a painting by the Austrian artist Baron Heinrich von Angeli (1840-1925).  The original painting was completed at Windsor Castle in 1875.

The Royal Windsor Tapestry Company was very closely associated with the Royal family, so its only fitting that its inaugural work would depict Queen Victoria who was their patron.  The connection, in fact was so close that the Queen’s children were appointed Presidents and Vice Presidents of the concern. The Queen made several visits to the tapestry company and notably recorded in her diaries her pleasure with the business.

The cartoon from which this tapestry was created was drawn in 1876 by Phoebus Levin, a German painter who was recorded as working in London between 1855 and 1878. According to the V&A, “the tapestry bears the names of Michel Brignolas, who became the first Manager, and of Henri C. M. Henry, Art Director of Gillows, the Oxford Street decorators who founded the Royal Windsor Tapestry Company.”

The finished product was presented to the Queen in 1877 in honor of her fortieth year on the throne.

Her Majesty's Furniture: The Wakefield Tapestry Chair, C. 1750

Part of an impressive suite which consisted of at least five armchairs and a sofa, this tapestry armchair was designed to show off the taste and wealth of the owner, and would probably have been displayed prominently in a drawing room or ornate reception room.

The suite was sold by Richard Wright and Edward Elwick of Wakefield, Yorkshire, who were working between 1745 and 1771--the pre-eminent firm of cabinet-makers and upholsterers in Yorkshire at that time. The chair's gilt frame is adorned with carved fish scales and acanthus leaves.

It was made for William Wentworth, 4th Earl of Strafford (1722-1791), for Wentworth Castle, Yorkshire. The Duchess of Northumberland wrote that she saw "French chairs emb'd [embroidered] with flowers upon Brown by the famous Mr Wright" upon a visit to Wentworth Castle in 1760.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Section of the Portières des Dieux, 1740-1760

Tapestry Panel
Gobelins, 1740-1760
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The famed Portières des Dieux series, designed by Claude Audran III (1658-1734) was made by the French royal tapestry manufactory, the Gobelins. The celebrated series of woven silk and wool panels depicts the four seasons and the four elements. So popular was the series that it was rewoven numerous times between 1700 and 1789.

This panel depicts Saturn, the God of agriculture who was often employed as an allegory for winter. Saturn’s feast—Saturnalia—was celebrated during the month of December, and, in fact, many of the traditions associated with Saturnalia have been borrowed for Christmas.

Here, Saturn is shown, seated in profile. He holds his attribute, the scythe of the harvest. From beneath, two putti come forth from clouds, blowing the first snows of winter. The group is framed by foliate, fruit-bearing garlands and arabesques.

Pierre-François Cozette (1714-1801) served as the maker of this original panel for Gobelins between 1740 and 1760. Claude Audran III (1658 -1734) was the designer. The entire series also includes scenes of Diana, Neptune, Jupiter, Bacchus, Venus, Ceres and Juno, each with his or her respective attributes.

The Home Beautiful: A Section of the Portières des Dieux, 1740-1760

Tapestry Panel
Gobelins, 1740-1760
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The famed Portières des Dieux series, designed by Claude Audran III (1658-1734) was made by the French royal tapestry manufactory, the Gobelins. The celebrated series of woven silk and wool panels depicts the four seasons and the four elements. So popular was the series that it was rewoven numerous times between 1700 and 1789.

This panel depicts Saturn, the God of agriculture who was often employed as an allegory for winter. Saturn’s feast—Saturnalia—was celebrated during the month of December, and, in fact, many of the traditions associated with Saturnalia have been borrowed for Christmas.

Here, Saturn is shown, seated in profile. He holds his attribute, the scythe of the harvest. From beneath, two putti come forth from clouds, blowing the first snows of winter. The group is framed by foliate, fruit-bearing garlands and arabesques.

Pierre-François Cozette (1714-1801) served as the maker of this original panel for Gobelins between 1740 and 1760. Claude Audran III (1658 -1734) was the designer. The entire series also includes scenes of Diana, Neptune, Jupiter, Bacchus, Venus, Ceres and Juno, each with his or her respective attributes.

Her Majesty's Furniture: The Stephens Settee, c. 1870

Settee
French, c. 1870
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Part of a sumptuous suite which also contains four matching armchairs, this handsome settee represents the clever reproductions of then-already-antique furnishings which were made in the Nineteenth Century in France. The frame is a fairly accurate facsimile of a settee which was made in the 1770s or 1780s by Jean-Baptiste III Lelarge. Lelarge was the third generation of a monumental dynasty of Parisian chair-makers.

The tapestry with which the seat and back panel are upholstered seems to really date from the Eighteenth Century. They were, perhaps, originally made for a suite by Lelarge or one of his kin. The present frames were made to fit. The frame of beech features lovely carving including floral motifs of forget-me-nots. The name of the maker is now lost, it we believe it was made between 1870-1890.

The suite once belonged to Mrs Lyne Stephens who bequeathed the group to The V&A in 1895. Mrs. Stephens was the principal dancer at the Paris Opera from 1831 to 1837. There, she performed under the stage name of Marie-Louise Duvernay. Later in life, she devoted herself to her husband, as well as to religion, philanthropy and collecting fine French Decorative Arts. 

The Home Beautiful: July; Vincennes; The Months; The Royal Residences, 1670-1700

Les Maisons Royales:  Vincennes
Tapestry, 1670-1700
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made between 1670 and 1700, this tapestry is one of a series which represented twelve of the royal residences of France’s Louis XIV—each depicted during a different month of the year. While the subjects were the palaces themselves, these were set in the backgrounds of the compositions while scenes of the luxury and wealth of Royal life took center stage.

The initial concept for the series of “Les Maisons Royales” was the idea of Le Brun, however, the tapestries were made and designed by a variety of artists in the workshop of Lefebvre and Jans. Seven complete sets were made until 1713.

This one, a tapestry of woven wool and silk, shows a woman surrounded by ripe fruit and two large, blue parrots. Elegant outdoor furnishings, exotic birds, an unidentifiable animal with a snout, and a curious dog complete the scene which is meant to frame a depiction of King Louis XIV and his courtiers hunting at the Château de Vincennes. This work was meant to represent “July.”

Unusual Artifacts: The Sheldon Tapestry Book Cover, 1615

Tapestry Book Cover
Sheldon Tapestry Works, 1615
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Books in general, until recently, were highly-valued objects which were treated with the utmost respect. Most upper class Seventeenth Century households would proudly display and protect their precious books, especially the family Bible. The expensive and intricate bindings of books were often protected with ornate covers made from a variety of materials.

This book cover dates to about 1615 and is constructed of a particularly expensive bit of tapestry. Tapestry, though more costly, would have worn better than the more common embroidery protective covers. The tapestry was professionally made of silk and metal thread and is adorned with biblical scenes.

Made in Warwickshire, England, by the Sheldon Tapestry Works the cover’s front shows a square cartouche depicting “Moses and the Burning Bush,” with the presence of God indicated by the word DEUS which appears in a cloud. A similar cartouche graces the back and shows Jonah emerging from the Whale. A golden star surrounded by a cloud adorns the spine.

The Home Beautiful: The Queen Victoria Tapestry, 1877

Tapestry
Royal Windsor Tapestry Co., 1877
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Some art historians believe that this portrait of Queen Victoria is the first tapestry which was ever woven at the Royal Windsor Tapestry Company. The portrait is based on a painting by the Austrian artist Baron Heinrich von Angeli (1840-1925).  The original painting was completed at Windsor Castle in 1875.

The Royal Windsor Tapestry Company was very closely associated with the Royal family, so its only fitting that its inaugural work would depict Queen Victoria who was their patron.  The connection, in fact was so close that the Queen’s children were appointed Presidents and Vice Presidents of the concern.  The Queen made several visits to the tapestry company and notably recorded in her diaries her pleasure with the business.

The cartoon from which this tapestry was created was drawn in 1876 by Phoebus Levin, a German painter who was recorded as working in London between 1855 and 1878. According to the V&A, “the tapestry bears the names of Michel Brignolas, who became the first Manager, and of Henri C. M. Henry, Art Director of Gillows, the Oxford Street decorators who founded the Royal Windsor Tapestry Company.”

The finished product was presented to the Queen in 1877 in honor of her fortieth year on the throne.