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

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) in the late 17th century. 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, Saint Petersburg (N. Biriukova, Les Tapisseries françaises de la Fin du XVe au XXe Siècle dans les Collections de l'Ermitage, Leningrad, 1974, cat. 54, p. 54) and a Hawking tapestry in the collection of M. Fenaille (J. Badin, La Manufacture de Tapisseries de Beauvaise, Paris, 1909, facing page X of the introduction). Interestingly a tapestry of identical subject to that offered was sold anonymously, Sotheby Parke Bernet, 10 and 11 November 1972, lot 266.