BEAUVAIS, LATE 17TH/EARLY 18TH CENTURY, PROBABLY BY PHILIPPE BEHAGLE

This tapestry relates to a small group of tapestries that were woven by the Royal Beauvais workshop under the directorship of Philippe Behagle (1641-1705). The first apparent mention of the series is in the 1697 addition to the inventory of Louis XIV where four pieces of 'Petites Chasses et Verdures' are described as 'fabrique de Beauvais, manufacture de Béagle, représentant des paysages'. Unfortunately, the records for the Beauvais manufactory for those years are lost and exact details concerning their original commission and weaving remain unclear. Although this series probably formed part of the most frequently woven subject by the atelier, along with verdures and Teniers scenes, very few have survived today. Two signed examples are in the Monuments Historiques, Paris (R.-A. Weigert, 'Les Commencements de la Manufacture Royale de Beauvais', Gazette des Beaux-Arts, December 1964, p.338), a signed Chasse is in the Hermitage, St Petersburg (N. Biriukova, Les Tapisseries françaises de la Fin du XVe au XXe Siècle dans les Collections de l'Ermitage, Leningrad, 1974, cat. 54, pg. 54) and an Hawking tapestry with differing borders formerly in the collection of M. Fenaille (J. Badin, La Manufacture de Tapisseries de Beauvais, Paris, 1909, facing page X of the introduction). A tapestry of identical design but with differing borders was sold anonymously American Art Association, New York, 25 January 1918.