b. 1641 Audenarde, France, d. 1705
Tapestry weaver
French

Little is known about the life of Philippe Béhagle. Flemish-born, he trained in Paris as a weaver before eventually becoming the second director of the Beauvais tapestry manufactory in 1684. In his role as both financial and artistic director, Béhagle was responsible for commissioning new designs as well as for steering the state-subsidized manufactory through its chronic economic difficulties. Under his directorship, which lasted twenty-seven years, the factory produced some of its most popular and enduring tapestry designs, including the Grotesques series.