The most renowned of all French tapestry-factories, that of the Gobelins, united several of the Parisian factories existing in 1662, the year in which it was inaugurated by Louis XIV. Weavers of Flemish origin, already employed in Paris, were transferred to the new works. It was the choice of Charles Le Brun, whose decorative instinct was quite remarkable, as director of the works, which enabled the new works to interpret so well the tastes and artistic aspirations of the time. Among the first undertakings was a set of tapestries from Raphael's frescoes in the Stanze of the Vatican, after copies made by the students of the French Academy in Rome, then newly founded. Other sets, among them the famous "Chasses de Maximilien" were copied, in accordance with the fashion of the time, from older Flemish tapestries in the royal garde-meuble. Many sets were designed to reflect the luxury and achievements of Louis XIV.—the "Histoire du Roi," his victories, the capture of cities, the royal residences. Under the succeeding kings, decoration was the chief aim, and such sub jects as Don Quixote, fortune tellers and children at play were the vehicle of decorative schemes of much refinement. The work of the Gobelins has always been characterized by the excellence of the materials, by the range and high quality of the dyes, and by extraordinary manipulative skill. All the resources of the king and his ministers were freely used to render the factory worthy of the age which brought it into being. The upheaval of the Revolution left the Gobelins undisturbed, and to-day it still enjoys its ancient privileges.
The royal factory at Beauvais was set up about the same time as the Gobelins. Under Philippe Behagle, a weaver from Tournai, it earned a great reputation. Among the greatest works produced at Beauvais were those from the designs of Francois Boucher, who was also employed for the Gobelins. At the present time, Beauvais uses only the low-warp loom and the Gobelins the high warp. These two factories eclipsed all others in France, but a factory at Caen was busy in the latter half of the 17th century, that at Tours continued down to the 18th, and in the first half of that century some good work was done at Nancy.
Tapestry weaving in Italy has been carried on, at one place or another, practically without intermission from the 15th century; but in spite of the real beauty of much Italian work, the craft has never become entirely acclimatized in a country where fresco-painting is more suited to the climate and the na tional genius. At first, tapestry-weavers from the Low Countries and France were induced to migrate to Italy, for the purpose of carrying out special local commissions. Tapestries were thus made in Florence, Siena, Rome, Urbino, Milan, Genoa, Venice, Ferrara, Bologna and elsewhere.
In spite of the artistic activity in Rome and Florence under Pope Leo X. in the earlier years of the 16th century, it is sig nificant that the reproduction of Raphael's cartoons for the Sistine chapel was entrusted to a weaver at Brussels. Other car toons by Italian artists were sent by the Medici to be woven at Bruges. We also learn, from Vasari, that Leonardo's lost cartoon of the Temptation in the Garden of Eden was to have been copied in Flanders. The Italian historian also mentions two immi grant weavers of the 16th century, Nicholas Karcher and J. B. Rost, who worked at Ferrara. Karcher wove the series of the history of SS. George and Maurelius in Ferrara cathedral, and those of the history of the Virgin and the Old Testament in the cathedral of Como. Both weavers also worked at Florence, where
the duke of Tuscany founded a factory which continued until the i8th century.
In Rome, after an attempt in the 15th century, and again in the 17th, to start tapestry-weaving under papal patronage, a factory was inaugurated by Clement XI. in the year 1710 which is still at work under the Government of Italy. Factories were founded in the 18th century at Turin and Naples. Most of the tapestries woven in Italy have been designed by Italian artists.
In Spain, as in Italy, Flemish weavers were induced to settle when tapestry-work was to be done. After a few scattered efforts, the factory of Santa Isabel at Madrid gained some celebrity in the 17th century; the workroom is seen in Velasquez's picture "Las Hilanderas" in the Prado. In the early years of the i8th century Van der Goten of Antwerp was employed in Madrid. A factory at Seville did not last more than a few years. The most famous of all Spanish tapestries are those woven in the factory of Santa Barbara at Madrid after the designs of Goya. Altogether this celebrated artist painted 45 subjects, taken from the peasant life of Spain, between the years 5776 and 1791. Thirty-six of these designs and most of the tapestries are still preserved in the Escorial and in the royal residences. There are scattered records of tapestry-weaving in Portugal from the 15th century onwards, but little is known of any work done except that at Tavira in the i8th century.
Tapestries were widely used in England before any regular factory was founded for meeting the needs of the country. The dukes of Burgundy, from the last years of the t4th century onwards, made gifts of many tapestries to members of the English royal family. Well-to-do subjects followed the royal example in their use. One of the most beautiful sets of tapestries of the first half of the t 5th century in existence, with hunting scenes, in the possession of the duke of Devonshire, probably came direct from the looms of Tournai or Arras. In the latter part of that century a weaver of Tournai was licensed to import tapestries into England. A little later Cardinal Wolsey's agents in the Low Countries spent large sums on his behalf. In one year alone (1522 21 sets, numbering 132 pieces altogether, were bought for him. At the death of Henry VIII. the inventory of the royal posses sions enumerated over 2,000 tapestries. Yet up to this time no tapestry-factory existed in England, and when at last one was founded it came into being through the initiative of a country squire. There are records of arras-weavers operating in England from time to time before that event, but no factory-tradition was established : and it is even probable that these weavers, immi grants or others, were chiefly engaged in repairs. A tapestry at Winchester college, with the mythical arms of King Arthur of Britain, and large red and white roses, on a "paned" ground in stripes alternately red and blue, belongs to the reign of Henry VIT. There are strong arguments tending to show that this panel com memorates the birth of Prince Arthur (so named after the British king), eldest son of Henry VII., at Winchester in the year 5486; the design is unusual, and as the workmanship does not show the accomplishment of Flemish weaving at the time, the panel may have been woven in England. On the other hand the tapestries made about the year 1511 for William Warham, archbishop of Canterbury, and now at Aix in Provence, are Flemish work.