St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-12-07
o0eEIlN TAPESTRiE9


A. AAeaoot Art which Has Net Hs,v m.
poaeats n Our nay.
There is very interesting exhibit
Of the famous Gobelin tapestries at the
Paris Exhibition this year. interesting
- one Of the fine arts and textile t.
brics
The Gobelin tapestries have q gal
lery in the main exhibition building.
devoted especially to them. and pre-
sent to connoisseHrs and admirers Of
this ancient art varied and attractive
display. Here are grand landscapes,
historic scenes. portraits and studies
from animal and bird life. in such
numbers rs to constitute . veritable
fine arts museum.
An especially noteworthy piece is
the Letters. Science and Art in An
tiquity." The herons and storks. too.
are remarkably lifelike. There Is a
certain softness and delicacy about
these pictures in tapestry work which
the original picture in oil colors lacks;
original picture. We say. for all these
tapestry representations are copies of
oil paintings by celebrated artists
The flesh tints. the summer and
autumnal foliage. the flowers. the
lights and shadows. are all remarka-
bly, true TO nature. and As We gaze. tho
wonder grows that this can be really
a web from q hand-loom. woven from
wooden wool.
A visit to the Gobelin factory. near
the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. fol-
lows very naturally an examination of
the display OF tapestries at the EXPOSE
ton.
This establishment was brought to
Paris early in the Fifteenth Century.
and was bought by Louis XIV. in 1862.
The first Of the name was Jean Gobe-
lin. who died in 1476. He discovered
peculiar kind Of scarlet dye. and ex.
pended so much money on his estab-
lishment that it was named by the
common people La FOlie Gobelin.
Many Of the pieces shown at the
present exhibition belong TO the time
when Jean Gobelin personally wrought
or directed the weaving. and they are
now rated at fabulous prices.
At present the Gobelin factory il
under state patronage and control, ex-
clusively. and receives an annual sub
sidy Of nearly a quarter Of . million
francs from the French Government
About one hundred and fifty weavers
who may with propriety be called
artists-are at present employed. The
work is done entirely by hand. The
warp threads are stretched per.
pendicularly in the loom. and the
weaver stands behind the warp with
the light in front OF it. Each thread
Of the wool is put in separately and
pressed into its place with long. slim
needles. The colored filling or wool
is wound upon bobbins also by hand,
and We were told that thirteen thou
sand different colors and shades OF
color are made use of in weaving the
pictured designs
The painting Of which the tapestry
is to be a copy hangs behind the
weaver-artist. Its Dimensions arc &C.
curately outlined in pencil upon the
warp. With almost infinite patience
and care the work Of reproduction then
begins. and continues month after
month. and even year after year. A
single weaver rarely produces more
than square yard Of tapestry in a |
year.
Men only are employed as weavers.
The art has descended from father TO
son. and it seemed to the writer that |
there was that in the faces Of these
calm artisans. and in the singularly |
yet thoughtful movements |
Of their eyes. which betokencd a de-
scent Of this hereditary French SKILL
Youths Companion.