The Palace of Versailles and the Month of April, from the series The Royal Residences and the Months of the Year
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Versailles beckons in the distance, with a royal carriage approaching through the park. The marble columns and silver vessels in the foreground allude to the treasures within the palace, while the birds refer to the animals kept at the Menagerie. Part of a series of twelve tapestries representing the months and the royal residences, this example pays homage to Louis XIV’s father, whose hunting lodge was transformed into a vast and magnificent château.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Palace of Versailles and the Month of April, from the series The Royal Residences and the Months of the Year
- Manufactory: Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins (French, established 1662)
- Artist: Jans Fils and workshop
- Designer: After designs by Charles Le Brun (French, Paris 1619–1690 Paris)
- Date: ca. 1673–77
- Culture: French, Paris
- Medium: Wool, silk, metal thread
- Dimensions: 13 ft. 1 1/2 in. × 21 ft. 3 7/8 in., 401.2 lb. (400 × 650 cm, 182 kg)
- Classification: Textiles-Tapestries
- Credit Line: Mobilier National, Paris (GMTT 108/4)
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts