Circa 1860 French Toile Peinte, the Children Gardeners, After Charles Le Brun

Details

Description

After a series of art produced by Charles Le Brun in the 17th century, this painted canvas is entitled Les … Read more After a series of art produced by Charles Le Brun in the 17th century, this painted canvas is entitled Les Enfants Jardiniers, (The Gardening Children). Our fantastic French toile peinte, which is from circa 1860, depicts 10 children tending a garden beside a classic Fountain. The colorful painting has the children dressed mainly in blue or red clothing, although some are clad in lighter hues, such as pink, white, and cream. Verdant trees line both sides of the painting, partially obscuring towering architecture behind the canopies.

A painting such as this would have most likely been used as a “cartoon”, which was used as a guide by tapestry weavers to produce the studio’s textiles. 18th-century tapestries by the famous Gobelin studio that used Le Brun’s work as a cartoon can be seen in museums across the world, such as the Château de Saumur. Le Brun was the official court painter to Louis XIV, who proclaimed him to be “the greatest artist of all-time”. See less