Savonnerie carpets and Gobelin tapestries of the Sun King at the Grand Palais

2/2/26 - Exhibition - Paris, Grand Palais - It is a success: since Sunday morning, numerous visitors have flocked under the vaults of the Grand Palais nave (ill. 1) to admire a remarkable “exhibition” both beautiful and scholarly but of ephemeral duration. Let us say it plainly: one can only recommend one or several visits, and any reader of La Tribune de l’Art who has the opportunity to go must do so without delay. This presentation, which will undoubtedly remain in memory, has only one flaw: the brevity of its existence, though one can easily imagine the constraints of its logistics.

What can be seen to justify such enthusiasm on our part? Quite simply the greatest masterpieces woven by the royal manufactories under the reign of Louis XIV. Few surprises, in fact: Savonnerie carpets as well as Gobelins tapestries have been studied and published [1] and are regularly displayed, from the Gobelins gallery (see the article) to the Château de Versailles, where two elements of the Tenture de l’Histoire du Roi are currently presented in the rich exhibition devoted to the Grand Dauphin. The Mobilier national, for its part, has never ceased working on its collection, which has even recently been enriched: our readers will remember the two carpet sections pre-empted (at great expense) at the al-Thani sales at Sotheby’s over three years ago (see the news item of 26/10/22) and which are now — finally — displayed here. The institution had also launched a research (and restoration) program duly announced in our columns, whose completion is eagerly awaited since a publication, promised to be ambitious, is expected for summer 2026.

Very impressive in its scale (ill.…