Girl Feeding Chickens from the series known as the Enfants de Boucher

Art Historical Context

Delight in the charming pastoral scene of *Girl Feeding Chickens*, a exquisite tapestry from the *Enfants de Boucher* series, woven around 1770–80 at the renowned Manufacture Nationale des Gobel in Paris. Designed by François Boucher, the celebrated Rococo master whose playful, elegant style graced the court of Louis XV, this piece captures a young girl tenderly scattering feed to a flock of chickens amid blooming flowers. The series, evoking Boucher's fondness for innocent childhood vignettes, reflects the era's idyllic view of rural life amid France's opulent Ancien Régime. Crafted from wool and silk with an impressive 27 warps per inch (10–11 per cm), the tapestry showcases Gobelins' unparalleled low-warp technique, allowing for intricate details and vibrant hues that mimic painting. Woven by skilled artisan Jacques Neilson, its compact size (28¾ × 21¼ in.) made it ideal for intimate domestic display, blending luxury with whimsy. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection, this gift honors a legacy of generosity. It embodies French textile artistry's cultural pinnacle, where royal workshops like Gobelins produced status symbols that adorned Europe's elite interiors, preserving Boucher's legacy into the revolutionary age.