The Entry of Alexander into Babylon, about 1665, probably by 1676. After a design by Charles Le Brun (French, 1619–1690). Woven in France by the Gobelins Manufactory. Wool, silk, gilt metal-and silver-wrapped thread. Image courtesy of and © Le Mobilier National. Photo by Lawrence Perquis

Weaving Gold at the Gobelins: A Colony of Artists in the Services of the Sun King

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Florian Knothe, director of the University Museum and Art Gallery at the University of Hong Kong, examines the meticulous planning and training of workers involved with the production of tapestries at the royal manufactory in Gobelins, France, during the second half of the 17th century. The workshops at Gobelins produced luxurious works of art that served the political and social needs of Louis XIV, and became some of the most stylistically influential artworks of their period. 

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