Aubusson tapestry is

tapestry Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads ma ...

manufactured at Aubusson, in the upper valley of the

Creuse Creuse (; oc, Cruesa or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Indre and Cher to the north, Allier and Puy-de-Dôme to the ea ...

in central France. The term often covers the similar products made in the nearby town of

Felletin Felletin (; oc, Falatin) is a commune in the Creuse department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in central France. Historically, the term Aubusson tapestry often covers the similar products made in the nearby town of Felletin, 8 kilometres awa ...

, whose products are often treated as "Aubusson". The industry had probably developed since soon after 1300 in looms in family workshops, perhaps already run by the

Flemings The Flemish or Flemings ( nl, Vlamingen ) are a Germanic ethnic group native to Flanders, Belgium, who speak Dutch. Flemish people make up the majority of Belgians, at about 60%. "''Flemish''" was historically a geographical term, as all in ...

that are noted in documents from the 16th century. Aubusson tapestry of the 18th century managed to compete with the royal manufacture of

Gobelins tapestry The Gobelins Manufactory () is a historic tapestry factory in Paris, France. It is located at 42 avenue des Gobelins, near Les Gobelins métro station in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. It was originally established on the site as a medieva ...

and the privileged position of

Beauvais tapestry The Beauvais Manufactory () is a historic tapestry factory in Beauvais, France. It was the second in importance, after the Gobelins Manufactory, of French tapestry workshops that were established under the general direction of Jean-Baptiste Colb ...

, although generally regarded as not their equal. In 2009 "Aubusson tapestry" was inscribed on the

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity UNESCO established its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance.Compare: This list is published by the Intergover ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

. At that time the industry supported three workshops, and ten or so freelance weavers. Felletin is identified as the source from which came the Aubusson tapestries in the inventory of

Charlotte of Albret Charlotte of Albret (1480 – 11 March 1514), Dame de Châlus, was a wealthy French noblewoman of the Albret family. She was the sister of King John III of Navarre and the wife of the widely notorious Cesare Borgia, whom she married in 1499. She ...

, Duchess of Valentinois and widow of

Cesare Borgia Cesare Borgia (; ca-valencia, Cèsar Borja ; es, link=no, César Borja ; 13 September 1475 – 12 March 1507) was an Italian ex-cardinal and ''condottiero'' (mercenary leader) of Aragonese (Spanish) origin, whose fight for power was a major i ...

(1514). The workshops were given a royal charter in 1665, but came into their own in the later 18th century, with designs by

François Boucher François Boucher ( , ; ; 29 September 1703 – 30 May 1770) was a French painter, draughtsman and etcher, who worked in the Rococo style. Boucher is known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, decorative allegories ...

Jean-Baptiste Oudry Jean-Baptiste Oudry (; 17 March 1686 – 30 April 1755) was a French Rococo painter, engraver, and tapestry designer. He is particularly well known for his naturalistic pictures of animals and his hunt pieces depicting game. His son, Jacques- ...

and Jean-Baptiste Huet, many of pastoral

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

subjects.Osborne, 61 Typically, Aubusson tapestries depended on

engraving Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an in ...

s as a design source or the full-scale

cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of imag ...

s from which the low-warp tapestry-weavers worked. As with Flemish and Parisian tapestries of the same time, figures were set against a conventional background of ''verdure'', stylized foliage and vignettes of plants on which birds perch and from which issue glimpses of towers and towns. In the 19th century reproductions of pieces from the previous century, and furniture covers, as well as floral tapestry carpets, kept the industry viable, and the town took much of the post-World War II revival in tapestry weaving. In fact the leading designer

Jean Lurçat Jean Lurçat (; 1 July 1892 – 6 January 1966) was a French artist noted for his role in the revival of contemporary tapestry. Biography He was born in Bruyères, Vosges, the son of Lucien Jean Baptiste Lurçat and Marie Emilie Marguerite L ...

had moved there in September 1939, with Marcel Gromaire and

Pierre Dubreuil Pierre Dubreuil (March 5, 1872 – January 9, 1944) was a French photographer, born in Lille, who spent his career in France and Belgium. As a pioneer of modernist photography, Dubreuil embraced innovative techniques and ideas that were celebrate ...

. ''Le Bouquet '' (1951) by

Marc Saint-Saens Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system of ...

is among the best and most representative French tapestries of the fifties. It is a tribute to Saint-Saens’s predilection for scenes from nature and rustic life. HENG, Michèle (1989), Marc Saint-Saens décorateur mural et peintre cartonnier de tapisserie, 1964 pages. The museum of the ) in Aubusson which opened in 2016 has a large collection of Aubusson tapestries. File:Tapisserie d'Aubusson (Huet).JPG, Aubusson tapestry after Jean-Baptiste Huet, c. 1786 File:Tapisserie-Aubusson-Arles-4.jpg, Aubusson tapestry from Arles File:Eole.jpg, Aubusson tapestry; design by

Isaac Moillon Isaac Moillon (8 July 1614, Paris - 26 May 1673, Paris) was a French Baroque painter of scenes from mythology and the Bible. He also designed tapestries. His work was forgotten after his death, until interest was revived in the 1980s. Biography ...

at the ), Aubusson Lebouquetdesaens

Notes

References

*Osborne, Harold (ed), ''The Oxford Companion to the Decorative Arts'', 1975, OUP,

External links

* {{tapestry French art Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity Tapestry-making operations