A pair of remarkable Louis XV Gobelins tapestries from the Don Quixote series
circa 1757-64, signed Michel Audran and Pierre-Francois Cozette, after a design by Charles Antoin Coypel, part of the sixth weaving of the series
both depicting episodes from Don Quixote, woven in wool and silk, the first entitled 'The False Princess Micomicon asking Don Quixote to Restore her to her Throne,' the central cartouche showing the young female in typical dress with elaborate plumed headdress, her turbaned companion kneeling behind her, two figures peeking out from behind a tree, a rocky landscape in the distance, the text to the bottom of the flowering frame reading LA FAUSSE PRINCES MICIMICON, VIENT PRIER DOM QUICHOTTE DE LA REMETTRE SUR LE THRONE the second tapestry entitled 'Don Quixote made a Knight by the Inn Keeper,' the central cartouche showing the main figure of Don Quixote in his armour, kneeling before the inn-keeper who is adorned with a pluming red hat, two figures, one female and one youth standing behind him, two maidens holding the military attributes of Don Quixote behind the kneeling knight, a young woman to the foreground drawing water from the well, dressed in a simple red shift acting as the only other witness to the bizarre scene, the text below to the flowering frame reading DOM QUICHOTTE FAIT CHEVALIER, PAR L'HOSTE DE HOTELLERIE both elaborate scenes are set within a central pendant with scrolling foliate frame, wrapped with acanthus leaves, headed by a peacock, above bursting cornucopiae and military trophies, within a luscious frame border, simulating a picture frame, which rests on a base piled with armour and an axe, two flags and two cornucopiae full to the brim with fruit, flanked by a spaniel and a ram, the corners with sinuous interlaced L's, for 'Louis' -the Royal cipher, on blue medallions in the ornamented corners, the former signed and dated UDRAN 1757' with fleur de lys to the dark blue outer slip with signature, the latter signed and dated 'Cozette 1764' and signed on the blue outer slip, both on a ground of 'mosaique simple,' yellow background comprising shaded squares,
361.5cm x 283cm and 361cm x 275.5cm (outer slip with typical very minor wear but this is barely noticeable) (2 )
Footnotes:
Provenance:

Commissioned by Marquis de Marigny, Surintendent et Directeur des Baitements,
Sold as part of a larger set to Madame Veron on 4 July 1783 (Don Quixote knighted by the innkeeper delivered on 27th Nov, 1764) thence by inheritance to
Louis Gregoire Veron, Receveuir General des Finances de France -Comte in 1780
4th Marquess of Hertford in 1865
Richard Wallace, sold at Christies in London, 20 April 1876, lot 210
Baron de Gunzbourg sold to Paul Chevalier, Galerie Georges Petit Paris, 30th Jan 1884 lots 3 and 4 respectively
Clarence H Mackay in 1926 and by descent to his daughter Mrs Robert Z Hawkins, 1958

Exhibited:
Exhibition de l'Union centrale des Beaux-Arts appliques a l'industrie, 1865
Loaned by Lord Hertford lent the pieces to the Musee Retrospectif Exhibition



Lot Essay:

The Tapestry Series of the Century

'The 28 tapestries designed by Charles Coypel are the most important series originated at the Gobelins in the 18th century.'

This magnificent series was woven nine times, from 1714 to 1794 with six different alentours (borders). This phenomenal output resulted in approximately 200 panels over the course of 80 years. Robert Cotte, the Royal Architect in Chief and Gobelins director (1656-1735) and the and the Duc d'Antin, Surintendant des Batiments (1708-1736) oversaw the initial manufacture of the series.

A set was woven for the first time under (and for) the Duc d'Antin (thereafter referred to as the Duc d'Antin set). This particular collection of tapestries, comprised 16 panels was sold in London on 10 June, 1993. The production and distribution of the series down the years in the 18th century is complex but the following dates of the first few sets are thought to be as follows:

The first set -Court/Duc D'Antin in 1717 (sold in London, 10th June 1993)
The second set -a collection of twelve tapestries was a gift from Louis XV to the Spanish Ambassador
The third set was woven in 1733 (this was a smaller set)
The fourth set was woven at some point between 1746-49 and comprised twelve pieces (sold as a whole to the Duke of Parma and is currently in Turin).
The fifth set included thirty panels.
The sixth set (today's lot) featuring 23 panels originally is thought to have been woven at some point between 1757 and 1764.
The seventh set contained 14 panels
The eighth set had a phenomenal 67 tapestries woven to make up the set.

It is important to note that a set of this series with a red background was woven between 1772-1785 and given to Albert and Marie -Christine, Duke and Duchess of Saxe Teschen in 1786. Four of these are now at the J.Paul Getty Museum (acc.no 82.DD.66-69). Four tapestries from the series were presented on 18 July 1788 by Louis XVI to the artist Richard Cosway as a sign of gratitude for the four tapestry cartoons by Giulio Romano of the history of Scipio which Cosway had presented to the King for display in the Louvre. Cosway gave his set to George IV shortly after -and these were eventually hung in Carlton House until 1823 when they were moved to Buckingham Palace where they still remain (inv.RCIN 3190-94).



A Royal Commission 'Presents from the King to Princes or Ambassadors'

The first set of these tapestries were commissioned by the Duc d'Antin although, rather conveniently, after realising he could not pay for the set, he said it was to be made for the King. The sets thereafter were essentially crown controlled and overseen by different directors of the Gobelins factory over the course of the 18th century. As Fenaille observes, it was clear that the weavers of Gobelins produced 'stock' tapestries from which selections which could be made by the King at any time for any purpose. As Garnier d'Isle wrote in 1752:

'Cette tenture a la commodite de pouvoir estre separee en autant et si peu de pieces que l'on veut, et d'autant plus convenable a fair des presents du roy aux princes ou aux ambassadeurs'

'this hanging has the convenience of being able to be separated into as many and as few pieces as desired and all the more suitable for making presents from the king to princes or ambassadors'

We know from another source that these sets had real status and were powerful gifts. A set was given by Louis XV to Count Vorontsov in c.1758 and was used as an ambassadorial tool to 'tilt' Russia to the French side during the war. Catherine the Great noticed the gesture and commented that the king 'by way of a bribe had furnished a house in St Petersburg with old furniture which had belonged to Madame de Pompadour,' We know that at one point a set of the Don Quixote tapestries were temporarily displayed in the home of Madame de Pompadour. It is possible that some of the Don Quixote tapestries therefore were used as a beautiful pawn in this canny diplomatic gesture.



Brother of the King's Mistress

The Marquis de Marigny, Surintendant et Directeur des Batiments du Roi and brother of Madame de Pompadour, was the commissioner of the set which included the pair presented in today's sale -the sixth weaving of the series.

He was appointed Director of the Gobelins in 1751. The whole set comprised 23 panels and six overdoor panels. Four of these were given by Louis XV to Count Vorontsov, as mentioned above, and a further six were sold to the Guard of the Royal Treasury and a single panel was gifted to Madame de Monmartel in 1767. Eight panels were given to Charles Henri Poussin in 1773 as part of payment for furnishing Versaille and Fontainebleau and the remaining four (including the present lot) to Madame Veron in 1763. Interestingly we know that Madame Veron swapped one of the initial four for the 'Don Quixote Knighted by the Innkeeper,' for an additional fee of 599 livres.

The four panels then passed to Louis Gregoire Veron, Receveuir General des Finances de France Comte. It then entered the legendary collections of the 4th Marquess of Hertford before being sold in 1865 by his heir Sir Richard Wallace at Christie's in London in 1876 to Baron de Gunzbourg. Interestingly we know that Lord Hertford had approximately 32 tapestries which eventually could not be accommodated in his vast collection. By the time they came to be sold at Christie's they were catalogued as:

'Three splendid sets of Beavais and Gobelins Tapestries' they were all from famous series including Four Gobelins panels with the Royal cipher in the corners and with similar subjects on yellow ground.'

The four tapestries remained together until 1958 when they were recorded into the collection of Clarence Mackay's daughter. After this the four were split into two pairs -the other pair depicted 'Sancho's Entry,' and 'Sancho's Cowardice'.



The Story of Don Quixote – an artist's interpretation

Don Quixote, (or to give it its full title, 'The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha) captured the 17th century European noble imagination as translations permeated the various courts and libraries of the upper echelons of society.

The Don Quixote tapestries are of particular importance because they represent a change in mood of artistic subject matter at the Gobelins factory. There was a noticeable shift from depictions of stories of military might or classical mythology to lighter, witter and, on occasion, frivolous scenes.

Charles Coypel (1694-1752), painter to Louis XV created 28 cartoons for the series to be used to weave tapestry at the Gobelins factory. He received 200 livres for the design of each picture. Under the influence of artists like Boucher and Watteau, these episodes were imagined as though they were staged theatre like set ups. The paintings which form the bases for the two panels in today's lot were undertaken in 1716 and 1714 (as panels 6 and 0 respectively). This demonstrates the importance therefore of 'Don Quixote knighted by the Innkeeper' as the first painting of the series to be presented at the Gobelins factory -which undoubtedly set the tone for the rest of the panels.

These specific borders, (sometimes called alentours) -occur for the first time in these tapestries. Some scholars have argued that these borders have just as much iconographic significance as the scenes depicted in the central cartouches. Jean Baptiste Belin de Fontenay is credited with the introduction of these specific alentours. For this set the borders form part of the fifth version of the weaving (which was a variant of the second). That version was a joint effort of Audran and Fontenay under Coypel. The fifth version was executed by Vallade who was supervised by Coypel and supplied to Audran in 1751 (but was only used until 1760).

We know that the Duc D'Antin had wanted new paintings from Coypel and wider hangings so under Coypel a new alentour was designed, mainly using the work of Claude Audran. The piles of armour and flags to the bottom were enlarged, some books added (one can presume knightly romances that sent Don Quixote mad) and additional animals including a monkey. The 'stage set' quality of these pieces have already been touched on and it is worth noting that Coypel was himself an unsuccessful playwright who 'tended to arrange his characters as if they were on stage.' Co-incidentally Cervantes (author of Don Quixote) had also started out his literary career by writing plays.



Weavers of Kings, the Gobelins Factory

Following the re-opening of the Gobelins Factory in 1699, de Cotte, the director, brought in new designs which suited the demands of the Crown and court. He kept a close eye on the Beauvais factory -which had enjoyed significant success with its Chinoiserie and Grotesque themed pieces in the mid to late 17th century.

It is pertinent to note that Audran and was told, in the design of the alentour, that just as much importance and visual value should be placed on the surround of the pieces as in the main field. This, arguably more than anything else, demonstrates the stylistic direction that Cotte, followed by Coypel, wanted these tapestries to move in.

It is interesting to note that initially Coypel received payments of 400 livres for each painting, an amount that increased to 1200 livres by 1724. The tapestry series was so popular that it continued to be woven until the revolution – one of the last to do so. The cartoons remained unchanged but the decorative surround/altentour went through six versions hence the use of Audran and Cozette's different signatures.

These, more than any other series from the period demonstrates not only the diplomatic power of art but a real, and highly elaborate attempt, to create a fantastical window into another reality.




Bibliography:

M.Fenaille 'Etat General des Tapisseries de la Maufacture des Gobelins,' Paris, 1904 IIII pp.219-229

G.Leland Hunter 'Mr Mackay's Gobelins-Beauvais Tapestries International Studio,' Oct 1926 pp.31-36

R. Cecil 'The Hertford Wallace Collection of Tapestry,' The Burlington Magazine no.637 April 1956, pp.116-118

R.Cecil Letter 'The Hertford Wallace Collection of Tapestries,' The Burlington Magazine, no. 660 March 1958 p.101

E.Standen 'The Memorable Judgement of Sancho Panza,' A Gobelines Tapestry in the Metropolitan Museum Journal X, 1975 p.103

E.Standen 'European Post-Medieval Tapestries and Related Hangings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art,' New York, 1985 p.373

C.Bremer-David, 'French Tapestries and Textiles in the J. Paul Getty Museum,' 1997, p.40

G. Wilson and C.Hess, 'Summary Catalogue of European Decorative Arts in the J. Paul Getty Museum, G. Wilson and C.Hess,' 2002, p.154

K.L Selig 'The Battle of the Sheep (Don Quixote, I, Xviii).' Revista Hispánica Moderna 38, no. 1/2 (1974) pp.64–72

E. Standen, 'Madame de Pompadour's Gobelins Tapestries.' Studies in the History of Art, vol. 42, 1993, pp.14–33
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