Savonnerie Panel: Autumn

c. 1717

This object has related works. See

manufacturer

Royal Savonnerie Manufactory, Chaillot Workshops

(French, est. 1627)

Culture

France, 18th century

Medium

knotted pile, silk and wool

Measurements

Overall: 297.2 x 218.5 cm (117 x 86 in.)

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund 1946.247

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Location

215 French, German, and Dutch

Description

Courtiers and aristocrats anxious to model their lifestyles on the king also commissioned works from the same state manufactories that produced tapestries, carpets, and upholstery for the French monarchy. Established in the early 1600s, the Savonnerie factory provided both domestic furnishings for the king’s palaces and diplomatic gifts for foreign heads of state. The double coat of arms in this tapestry suggests that it was made for a count and countess who married in 1717. One of a group of four tapestries depicting the seasons, this work depicts the abundant harvest of fall. The Cleveland Museum of Art rotates this tapestry with another from this group. The other two tapestries in the suite can be seen at the Toledo Museum of Art.