Colorful and glittering tapestries, handwoven after designs by the most renowned artists, were the ultimate expression of status, power, taste, and wealth. As patron, heir, and collector, Louis XIV (reigned 1643–1715), vastly augmented the prestigious French royal collection of tapestries. Displayed within his palaces while in residence and in outdoor courtyards on feast days, these monumental hangings embodied and proclaimed his magnificence. With rare loans from the French state, this major international loan exhibition, exclusive to the Getty, presents a selection of grand tapestries that evoke the brilliance of the Sun King’s court.
http://www.getty.edu/visit/exhibitions/future.html
Image: Autumn, after 1664, tapestry, wool, silk and gilt-metal wrapped thread, Gobelins Manufactory (French, 1662 – present), Cartoon attributed to Beaudrin Yvart (French, 1611 – 1690), after Charles Le Brun (French, 1619-1690) ©the Mobilier National, France. Photo by Lawrence Perquis
