PURCHASE OLD AUBUSSON TAPESTRY
PURCHASE OLD AUBUSSON TAPESTRY
JABERT GALLERY SINCE 1937
Purchase and sell old aubusson tapestry & contemporary tapestry in Paris
PURCHASE OLD AUBUSSON TAPESTRY
Origin of Aubusson tapestry
The origins of the tapestry are uncertain. Some authors say that it owes its origin to the Saracens who settled on the banks of the Creuse after their defeat at Poitiers in 732. As Abbé Lecler wrote: "To attribute the origin of Aubusson to a group of Saracens who, escaping the blows of Charles-Martel in 732, took refuge in this place is to make a novel, not a story. It is good to note that it is the expression Saracen carpet, given to a kind of carpet made in Aubusson, which gave rise to this legend. "According to other authors such as Adrien Proust or Adolphe Blanqui "It is proven that workers from this nation settled there, by the Châtelet's regulations for the community of master upholsterers, which recognize the Saracens for the oldest of this body".
Another possible origin is perhaps linked to Louis I of Bourbon, then Count of La Marche. He had confirmed Aubusson's privileges in 1331. In 1310, Louis de Bourbon had married Marie de Hainaut († 1354). So many elements that can lead us to believe that the Count de la Marche, or even his wife, would have encouraged Flemish upholsterers to come to the banks of the Creuse, where they already liked to praise the quality of the acidic waters to degrease the wool and feed the dyes.
Whether on the initiative of Louis de Bourbon, or perhaps of merchants wishing to take advantage of a local opportunity, the drapery economy was being converted. Farmers traditionally owned flocks of sheep whose wool was valued locally. It was now used to make tapestries. The Flemish influence was immediately evident in the workshops: the same technique of the low smooth, the same patron saint (Saint Barbara).
In fact, the first known Aubusson tapestries were woven by the Augeraing brothers (1501).
The Lady with Unicorn remains the most famous tapestry of Aubusson. It was discovered in one of the largest and most beautiful buildings in Creuse: The Château de Boussac. It is currently exhibited in Paris at the Cluny museum.
It has had a rather turbulent history. Built in the eleventh century, then devastated during the Hundred Years War, rebuilt and then embellished, the Château de Boussac fell back during the Revolution.
It later became a sub-prefecture, a gendarmerie, an annex of the fairgrounds where the pigs stayed. Bought by new owners, the château was renewed with an exceptional flavour in 1965. It is even told that Georges Sand resided there several times and even part of his country work Jeanne was written there. The current owner, Bernadette Blondeau even tells that it was she who discovered the famous tapestry of the Lady with the Unicorn.
Now a new generation is working to revive the flame of the Aubusson tapestry.
Creation has always been a major preoccupation. For Aubusson, the contribution of Jean-Joseph Dumons has been considerable and stimulating. The workshops of the Marche also drew inspiration from many painters such as Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1686-1755). As early as 1731, he produced models for Aubusson. The Picqueaux workshop wove, for example, Les métamorphoses d'Ovide, a surprisingly decorative work. This particular character was found in the "fine greens", "La Fontaine's fables" or the hunts. Oudry was first and foremost an animal painter. He became artistic director of the Manufactures de Beauvais (1734) and of the Gobelins, and exerted a very strong influence on French tapestry and thus on the production of the market. François Boucher (1703-1770) also inspired the weavers who wove his pastoral or mythological scenes. He was a skilful and popular artist. Watteau, Jean-Baptiste Huet, Le Brun, Lancret, as well as Dumons' successor, Jacques-Nicolas Julliard (painter of the Manufactures Marchoises from 1755 onwards) provided many models. Of course, the role of Julliard (Boucher's pupil) was important until his death in 1790. Julliard, like Dumons before him, collaborated with artists from the Creuse, one of the best known of whom was François Finet, who in the 18th century devoted himself passionately to tapestry. He excelled in the flesh and more generally in the characters. In 1760, he became Felletin's "chief painter"... Gilbert Finet and François Roby also supplied cardboard to the workshops, as did Sallandrouze. Barraband's work was particularly interesting. Jacques Barraband (1768-1809) became nationally known. His budding glory was thwarted by the Revolution. He then had to widen his range of production. For example, he illustrated Le Vaillant's L'histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique (The Natural History of the Birds of Africa) as well as various other works. He created decorations, made cardboard boxes for goblins and soap workshops. He knew fame when he died in Lyon where he worked as a teacher at the special school of arts and drawing. With Barraband, François Roby marked his time. Professor of drawing from 1742, he supplemented Dumons by supplying carpet drawings and making tapestry cartoons for the Felletin Manufactory. In 1805, the sub-prefect of Aubusson affirmed in a report that "the factories experienced, in the course of the Revolution, a complete annihilation. They have been recovering for a few years and at the moment their products are of some importance. The luxury that is indispensable in a great state will enable them to regain their former splendour. Already in Aubusson objects were made for the palaces of the Emperor and great dignitaries ". Albert Castel, author of an interesting book published in 1876, explained that "it was the habit that the Aubusson factories had taken of making foot carpets and common tapestry that saved their industry after the Revolution".
It has had a rather turbulent history. Built in the eleventh century, then devastated during the Hundred Years War, rebuilt and then embellished, the Château de Boussac fell back during the Revolution.
The Lady with Unicorn remains the most famous tapestry of Aubusson. It was discovered in one of the largest and most beautiful buildings in Creuse: The Château de Boussac. It is currently exhibited in Paris at the Cluny museum.
It later became a sub-prefecture, a gendarmerie, an annex of the fairgrounds where the pigs stayed. Bought by new owners, the château was renewed with an exceptional flavour in 1965.
It is even told that Georges Sand resided there several times and even part of his country work Jeanne was written there. The current owner, Bernadette Blondeau even tells that it was she who discovered the famous tapestry of the Lady with the Unicorn.
