Beschreibung
large folio. pp. 1 p.l., 82. large engraved title vignette with royal coat of arms, additional engraved title, 2 engraved section titles, 8 double-page engraved plates of tapestries, & 32 emblematic half-page engravings by Sébastien Leclerc & other artists after Jacques Bailly & Charles Le Brun. 2 engraved headpieces, 1 engraved tailpiece & 2 engraved initials. contemporary blind-paneled vellum with central arabesque ornament in blind on each cover (vellum bit soiled & rubbed, upper cover bowed, small tear to spine, some light browning & spotting, minor marginal hole on title). Second Edition. The Tapisseries du Roy, first published in Paris in 1670, describes in detail the two series of tapestries commissioned by Louis XIV on the two themes of the four elements (fire, water, air, earth) and the four seasons. The central panels were designed by court painter Charles Le Brun [1619-1690], while the emblematic roundels in the borders at each corner are based on miniature paintings by Jacques Bailly (1629-1679). The latter are also shown enlarged in the 32 emblematic engravings. These tapestries, meant to extol the virtues and accomplishments of the King, are the first set to be wholly designed and executed at the Manufacture Royale de Tapisserie des Gobelins, established in 1660 by Jean-Baptiste Colbert on behalf of Louis XIV. Le Brun served as director and chief designer there from 1663-1690. "Charles Le Brun was the most important and influential designer during the reign of the French king, Louis XIV. His work in the Baroque style permeated design and decoration in almost every medium; for nearly thirty years he personally designed or supervised the production of most of the paintings, sculptures, and decorative objects commissioned by the French court." (John Paul Getty Museum website) "Mythological allegories in the main scenes, showing gods with attributes representing the seasons and the elements, are linked to moralistic devices in the borders, drawing a correspondence between the allegories and the king's personal virtues: in the Elements, magnanimity and valor, piety and goodness; in the Seasons, various aspects of the magnificence of the king in action. The elements and the seasons are related to the iconography of Apollo and the sun - the celestial body associated with the French monarchy since Charles V - which were also being developed in ceiling paintings in the grand apartments of the Louvre and Versailles at this time. The use of heraldic devices was meant to symbolise good government, embodied by Louis XIV and the absolute monarchy he established. The two tapestry series directly celebrated the king, for whom a miniature painted version was prepared for his private pleasure. Subsequently, the images were widely disseminated, through Andre Felibien's descriptions of them (1656 and 1667) and through engravings by Sebastien Leclerc (1670-1671)." (P.-F. Bertrand "Tapestry Production at the Gobelins during the Reign of Louis XIV, 1661-1715" in "Tapestry in the Baroque: Threads of Splendour", pp. 346-247). Berlin Kat. 1671 [vide LE BRUN]. Landwehr, Romantic Emblem Books, 286. Praz 334. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers elala5762
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