78831 Late 19th Century Antique French Aubusson Verdure Tapestry, 06'10 x 09'08.
Woven in the storied ateliers of Aubusson during the late 19th century, this handwoven wool and silk antique verdure tapestry summons the pastoral grandeur of Jean-Baptiste Oudry, the celebrated 18th-century court painter to King Louis XV. Though Oudry himself never touched the loom, his spirit animates every thread of this majestic weaving. Famed for his lifelike portrayals of animals and wooded glades, Oudry elevated the hunt into a poetic narrative of nature and nobility. His paintings, often commissioned by the royal court, served as prized templates for tapestry workshops seeking to immortalize his artistry in wool and silk. Here, his legacy is rekindled with reverence and finesse, rendered into a vibrant tableau designed to grace the salons and chateaus of Europe’s elite.
The scene unfolds in a sun-dappled glen where nature seems both tamed and untamed—a vision carefully orchestrated to reflect the refined wilderness favored by Oudry and his royal patron. Towering trees extend their boughs in feathery arcs, their leaves rendered in a symphony of olive, ochre, and sage. Beneath their canopy, a floral carpet blooms in gentle disarray, while a sculpted fountain head—its mascaron visage frozen in classical repose—spills water into the shaded underbrush. Amid this sylvan stillness, a hunting dog crouches, alert and sinewy, its gaze fixed upon a bird concealed in the dense vegetation near the fountain’s base. It is a moment suspended in time, fraught with the quiet intensity of the chase and Oudry’s hallmark ability to infuse animals with emotion and sentience.
In the background, a chateau with a round turret and adjacent village emerges from the foliage like a vision from a fairytale, grounding the scene in a romanticized vision of rural aristocracy. This architectural punctuation adds narrative depth, hinting at a world beyond the forest edge—a domain of civility framed by wilderness. Such juxtapositions were central to Oudry’s aesthetic, where courtly elegance met the raw poetry of nature. The meticulous shading and layered weaving techniques employed by Aubusson artisans heighten the dimensionality of the tapestry, allowing the viewer to feel as though they might step into this idyllic world of moss, stone, and fur.
Framing the composition is an ornate acanthus scrollwork border—an enduring hallmark of neoclassical design that enhances the visual rhythm of the scene. The scrolling vines and curling foliage echo the natural motifs within, creating a seamless dialogue between border and field. This embellishment not only elevates the tapestry’s formality but also underscores the historical continuity between artistic periods, bridging the Enlightenment grandeur of Louis XV’s court with the historicist revivalism of the 19th century. Each curve and flourish of the border reflects the care, tradition, and aesthetic sophistication for which the Aubusson ateliers were renowned.
This verdure tapestry is not merely a decorative object but a woven homage to an age of elegance, where hunting dogs were noble companions, landscapes bore the brushstrokes of myth, and artistry was a conduit between man and nature. It is a testament to Jean-Baptiste Oudry’s enduring vision and the timeless allure of verdant serenity. As both historical artifact and poetic expression, this tapestry captures the harmony of wilderness and refinement—an echo of the royal hunt rendered eternal in thread.
- Abrash.
- Handwoven wool. Handwoven silk.
- Made in France.
- Measures: 06'10 x 09'08.
- Date: 1880's. Late 19th Century.
