La peinture tissee: Theorie de l'art et tapisseries des Gobelins sous Louis (ⅩⅣ)

摘要

Louis (ⅩⅣ) of France (born 1638, reigned 1643-1715) established absolute rule and styled himself as a new Apollo, the Sun King. To support his role politically and visually Louis turned to art, becoming an extraordinary patron. Tapestry, the most coveted and costly art form at the time, was a particular focus. Grand-scale tapestry designs could present complex narratives that delivered potent and effective propaganda. Woven of lustrous wool, silk, and gold- and silver-wrapped threads, their materiality conveyed, more than any other medium, wealth and power. To produce these luxurious textiles, along with other furnishings and decorations for the royal palaces, Louis, with his trusted minister, Jean-Baptist Colbert (1619-1683), established the Gobelins manufactory in 1660. As Colbert pointed out to the king: 'Your majesty knows that, apart from brilliant military exploits, nothing better demonstrates the grandeur and spirit of princes than buildings, and all posterity measure them in the light of those superb mansions that they erected during their lifetimes.' The Gobelins and its sister institutions, the Beauvais and Savonnerie manufactories, continue today to produce textiles, supported by the French state.