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Lot Essay
Louis Hinart founded the Manufactures Royales de haute et basse lisse in Beauvais in 1664 and received the promise of financial support from the state for 30 years. With the death of Colbert, however, his most dedicated supporter disappeared and Colbert's successor Louvois forced Hinart to pass the manufacture to Philippe Behagle in 1684. The enterprise had, however, continued financial problems and the size of the workforce diminshed continuously despite the general high regard for the tapestries from his workshop. His wife and his son Jean-Baptiste finally succeeded him in the directorship of the manufacture upon Philippe's death in 1705 and continued to lead it with unchanged fortune until 1711.
The main genre of tapestries woven at Beauvais in the late 17th early 18th century was decorative themes such as verdures with or without animals, small figure groups, the 'small' hunts and Teniers subjects. Teniers tapestries from Beauvais are first mentioned in an inventory of Louis XIV on 22nd April 1692: 'Verdures et paysages à petits personnages manière de Tannières (sic), basse lisse, fabrique de Beauvais, manufacture de Bèhagle'. It is probable that the set mentioned in the inventory, which included five panels, was based on Teniers pictures in the Musée du Louvre (D. Heinz, Europäische Tapisseriekunst des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts, Vienna, 1995, pp. 133-134).
A large Beauvais Teniers panel depicting Kermesse was sold anonymously at Christie's New York, 29 January 1997, lot 146, while another depicting a lute player and two peasants was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 1 October 1998, lot 240. Beauvais tapestries depicting Game of Bowls were recorded in the collection of the Duke of Sutherland at Lilleshall (in 1932) apparently signed 'Couret', another from château Plessis-Macé was sold in 1888, one was with Bernheimer, Munich, in 1932, another which for certain was not this panel was sold anonymously in Paris, 26 February 1919. A final piece that is also for certainly not this panel was sold in these Rooms 10 May 1928.
The main genre of tapestries woven at Beauvais in the late 17th early 18th century was decorative themes such as verdures with or without animals, small figure groups, the 'small' hunts and Teniers subjects. Teniers tapestries from Beauvais are first mentioned in an inventory of Louis XIV on 22nd April 1692: 'Verdures et paysages à petits personnages manière de Tannières (sic), basse lisse, fabrique de Beauvais, manufacture de Bèhagle'. It is probable that the set mentioned in the inventory, which included five panels, was based on Teniers pictures in the Musée du Louvre (D. Heinz, Europäische Tapisseriekunst des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts, Vienna, 1995, pp. 133-134).
A large Beauvais Teniers panel depicting Kermesse was sold anonymously at Christie's New York, 29 January 1997, lot 146, while another depicting a lute player and two peasants was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 1 October 1998, lot 240. Beauvais tapestries depicting Game of Bowls were recorded in the collection of the Duke of Sutherland at Lilleshall (in 1932) apparently signed 'Couret', another from château Plessis-Macé was sold in 1888, one was with Bernheimer, Munich, in 1932, another which for certain was not this panel was sold anonymously in Paris, 26 February 1919. A final piece that is also for certainly not this panel was sold in these Rooms 10 May 1928.