Chancellerie
Medium
Wool and silk, slit and double interlocking tapestry weave
Dimensions
114.6 × 242.8 cm (45 1/8 × 95 1/2 in.)
Classification
weaving - tapestry
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
151990
Art Historical Context
Created by the Manufacture Royale des Gobelins between 1718 and 1721, *Chancellerie* stands as a fine example of French royal tapestry production in the early eighteenth century. The Gobelins workshops, established to supply furnishings for the French court, specialized in large-scale woven pieces that combined artistic design with exceptional craftsmanship. This work’s modest scale suggests it may have served as a decorative panel or overdoor element in an elegant interior. Woven in wool and silk using slit and double interlocking tapestry techniques, the piece demonstrates the durability an...
About the Artist
Manufacture Royale des Gobelins
The Manufacture Royale des Gobelins, a cornerstone of French decorative arts, originated in the mid-15th century as a dyeing workshop established by the Gobelin family along the Bièvre River in Paris's Faubourg Saint-Marcel. Renowned for their scarlet dye, the Gobelins supplied the foundation for what became Europe's premier tapestry factory. In 1601, King Henry IV rented the site to Flemish weave...