|
|
Tapestry in the Baroque: Threads of Splendor
|
|
 
|
|
Moses Rescued from the Nile (detail)
From a proposed six-piece set of the Story of the Old Testament
Cartoon by Simon Vouet, with several collaborators, ca. 1640
Woven in the workshop of Girard Laurent, in the galleries of the Palais du Louvre, Paris, begun before 1643
Wool and silk; 16 ft. 2 7/8 in. x 18 ft. 10 3/4 in. (495 x 576 cm)
Mobilier National, Paris (GMTT 23/1), deposited at the Musée du Louvre, Paris
See an image of the entire panel.
|
|
|
The Parisian artist Simon Vouet (1590–1649) spent his early career in Italy, where his precocious abilities led to his appointment in 1624 as the president of the Accademia di San Luca in Rome. In 1627 he was summoned back to France by Louis XIII, specifically to paint tapestry cartoons. He was appointed First Painter to the King and the commissions he executed for leading members of the court during the following years included a number of tapestry designs which, like his paintings and decorative schemes, reflected his profound response to contemporary Italian painting. Like his successor Charles Le Brun at the Gobelins some years later, Vouet delegated the execution of his tapestry cartoons to a team of skilled French and Flemish cartoonists, some specializing in figures, others in landscapes and border design. Their combined efforts ensured the visual richness and design quality of the final product. With its harmonious combination of richly costumed figures—reminiscent of those of Paolo Veronese—deep landscape, and decorative border, Moses Rescued from the Nile typifies Vouet's best work in tapestry. The tapestry is one of two from an unfinished set that Louis XIII commissioned for the Louvre.
|
|
|
Back to main page for this exhibition
Back to images from this exhibition
