The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1889-10-25
GOBLIN TAPESTRIES
An Ancient Art Which Has Not Many Ex-
ponenIs In Our Day.

fehDhts Aa W"
There is a very interesting exhibit
Of the famous Gobelin tapestries at the
Paris Exhibition this year, interesting
as one Of the fine arts and textile fa
brics.
The Gobelin tapestries have n gal
lery IN the main exhibition building,
devoted especially to them and pre-,
sent to connoissenrs and admirers oil
this ancient art a varied and attractive
display. Here are grand landscapes.
historic scenes, portraits and studies
from animal and bird life, in such
numbers as to constitute a 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, the
wonder grows that this can be really
a web from a hand-loom, woven from
wooden wool.
A visit to the Gobelin factory, near
The Jardin des Plantes in Paris, fol-
lows very naturally all e~Aamlnatlon OF
display of tapestries at the exposi- |
ton.
This establishment was brought to
Paris early in the Fifteenth Century, j
md was bought by Louis XIV. in 1862 |
The first of the name was Jean Gobe-
in, who died in 1476. He discovered
/ peculiar kind of scarlet dye, and ex.
so much money on his. estab-
lshment that it was named by the
ommon people La Folie Gobelin.
Many of the pieces shown at the
exhibition belong to the time
hen Jean Gobelin personally wrought
r directed the weaving, and they are
ow rated at fabulous prices.
At present tho Gobelin factory is
nder state patronage and control, ex-
iusivcly, and receives an annual sub.
dy OF nearly q quarter of a million
'ancs from the French Government.
About one hundred and fifty weavers
who may with propriety be called
'tists-are at present employed. The
DIRK is done entirely by hand. The
arp threads are stretched per-.
'ndlcularly in the loom, and the
stands behind the warp with
@ light in front of it. Each thread ,
the wool is put in separately and !
'esscd into its place with long, slim c
The colored filling or wool !
wound upon bobbins, also by hand, /
d we were told that thirteen thou S
different colOrs and shades Of y
Tor arc made use of in weaving the n
CURED designs.
The painting Of which the tapestry g
to be a copy hangs behind the.| v
'aver-artist. Its dimensions are ac- \
outlined in pencil upon the '
rp' With almost infinite patience r.
q care the work of reproduction then +
gins, and continues month after y
NTH, and even year after year. A {.
gle weaver rarely produces more Il
IN n square yard of tapestry in a u
IT.
'1en only are employed as weavers. = y
e art has descended from father to "
|. and it seemed to the writer that
re was that in the faces of these n
m artisans, and in the singularlv es
assured, yet thoughtful movements OF
their eyes. which betokened a de- W
mt OF this hereditary French SKILL b'
Companion.