International studio (60.1916/1917)

Gobelin and Beauvais Tapestries of the Morgan Collection

The Eight Tapestries Decoratively
The three Comedies of Moliere have not only
woven gilt frames in the eighteenth-century fash-
ion, but also inside the frames a plain cream mat
and a very charming woven floral border enclos-
ing the picture. The coloration of the tapestries
is neither heavy nor fanciful, but is distinguished
for a lightness and a luminosity that make them,

backgrounds the picture, date from the second
Don Quixote frame designed in 1721, under the
direction of Coypel and Audran (not Audran the
weaver, but Audran the painter) by Fontenoy,
the younger, and Desportes. The peacocks, mon-
keys, dogs and sheep were by Desportes, who was
the animal painter of the Gobelins and a close
friend of Coypel. While the light walls against


LE DEPIT AMOUREUX

BEAUVAIS TAPESTRY DESIGNED BY OUDRY

outside of their delightful human and story in-
terest, most agreeable to live with.
The five Don Quixote panels have each two
woven gilt frames, one outside and one inside of
the crimson damasse mat, which was first em-
ployed in 1760 by Neilson instead of the previous
yellow mosaic mat, and which at the suggestion
of Neilson had been designed by the painter
Jacques. The other parts of the composition, that

which the Don Quixote tapestries hung at the
Metropolitan Museum, caused them to . seem
heavy and ponderous by contrast with the
Moliere tapestries that faced them, I cannot
end this paper without giving my opinion that
decoratively they are unexcelled when properly
placed. Indeed, some of the most brilliantly
beautiful interiors of France and England have
been based upon them.

XIV