Winter, from The Seasons
1700/20
Medium
Wool and silk, slit and double interlocking tapestry weave
Dimensions
540.1 × 384.9 cm (212 5/8 × 151 1/2 in.)
Classification
weaving - tapestry
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
80479
Art Historical Context
Behold *Winter, from The Seasons*, a monumental tapestry designed by Charles Le Brun, the preeminent French artist of Louis XIV's court. Created between 1700 and 1720, this work captures the allegorical chill of winter through Le Brun's grand Baroque style, characterized by dramatic compositions and classical grandeur. As director of the royal Gobelins manufactory Le Brun pioneered tapestry series like *The Seasons* to adorn Versailles and noble palaces, blending mythology, nature, and seasonal metaphors to celebrate the Sun King's eternal reign. Woven in luxurious wool and silk using slit an...
About the Artist
Charles Le Brun · 1619–1690
Charles Le Brun (1619–1690) was the most powerful artistic figure in seventeenth-century France, serving as the virtual dictator of official taste during the reign of Louis XIV and shaping the visual identity of the French Baroque in ways that resonated for generations. Born in Paris, he trained under the painter Simon Vouet before traveling to Rome in 1642, where he studied the works of Nicolas P...