Antique Khana Gallery

Aubusson Tapestry: Grand Verdure with Cartouches and Pastoral Vista

France

Early 18th Century, circa 1700–1730

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This substantial tapestry constitutes a representative and finely executed example of the Grand Verdure corpus produced by the Aubusson manufactories during the transitional decades between the late Baroque and the Régence. The central field adheres to the established iconographic conventions of the verdure genre, presenting an idealised woodland rendered through a sophisticated modulation of chromatic values. Large-scale arboreal masses, articulated in dense strata of brown, green, and indigo, structure the pictorial space, while a carefully orchestrated recession leads the viewer’s eye towards a fluvial axis and a distanced pastoral prospect. The atmospheric handling of depth and the calibrated tonal gradations reflect the workshop’s assimilation of contemporary painterly models. The composition is framed by a complex ornamental border, characteristic of higher-grade Aubusson production of the early 18th century. This border synthesises millefleur dispersion, acanthine scrollwork, and fructal festoons within a coherent decorative programme executed in a restrained yet luminous palette. The inclusion of baroque cartouches along the lateral and basal sections—each enclosing a subsidiary landscape vignette—enhances the iconographic density of the tapestry and underscores the weavers’ technical and compositional proficiency. Taken together, the scale, structural clarity, and ornamental elaboration of the piece situate it securely within the aristocratic decorative idiom of its period.

Details

Inventory Code: 3397
Category: Carpets
Material: Wool
Origin: France
Period: Early 18th Century, circa 1700–1730
Dimensions: 400 x300 cm
Condition: Excellent cosmetic condition with minimal wear commensurate with age. Fully functional.