- Six Tapestries from The Story of the
Emperor of China Series
Beauvais manufactory, circa 1690-1705
Woven under the direction of Philippe
Bιhagle after designs by Guy-Louis Ver-
nansal, Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer, and Jean-
Baptiste Belin [Belain or Blin] de Fontenay
Wool and silk
All woven with the arms and monogram of
the comte de Toulouse.
The ColUtion:
Signature VERNANSAL.INT.ET.PU woven
at lower center of scene, in border of carpet.
Height: 13 ft. 10lA in. (423 cm);
Width: 10 ft. 2 in. (310 cm)
Accession number 83.DD.336
The Harvesting of Pineapples:
Woven Β Ε HAGLE at lower right.
Height: 13 ft. 7/2 in. (415 cm);
Width: 8 ft. 5/2 in. (258 cm)
Accession number 83.DD.337
The Astronomers:
Height: 13 ft. 9 in. (419 cm);
Width: 10 ft. 5 Yz in. (319 cm)
Accession number 83.DD.338
The Emperor on a Journey:
Height: 13 ft. 7/2 in. (415 cm);
Width: 8 ft. 4 in. (254 cm)
Accession number 83.DD.339
The Return from the Hunt:
Woven BEHAGLE at lower right.
Height: 13 ft. 8/2 in. (418 cm);
Width: 9 ft. 6 in. (290 cm)
Accession number 83.DD.340
The Empress's Tea:
Height: 13 ft. 9 in. (419.1 cm);
Width: 6 ft. 3 in. (195 cm)
Accession number 89.DD.62
PROVENANCE
Made for Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon,
comte de Toulouse and due de Penthiιvre,
as part of a set of ten tapestries in the
Chambre du Rot and the Antichambre du
Rot of the Chateau de Rambouillet in 1718;
by descent to his son, Louis-Jean-Marie de
Bourbon, due de Penthiιvre; by descent
to his daughter, Louise-Marie-Adelaide
de Bourbon; by descent to her son, Louis-
Philippe d'Orleans, King of the French
(six tapestries from the set sold, Paris, Janu
ary 25-27,1852, lot 8); Therese d'Albert-
Luynes d'Uzιs, France (sold in America
in 1926); John Thompson Dorrance, Sr.,
Newport, Rhode Island; by descent to John
Thompson Dorrance, Jr.
83.DD.336-340: [Rosenberg and Stiebel, Inc.,
New York, 1983].
89.DD.62: The Preservation Society of New
port County, Chαteau-sur-Mer, Newport,
Rhode Island, 1970s.
EXHIBITIONS
The Preservation Society of Newport,
Rhode Island, Chαteau-sur-Mer, 1970S-1989
(89.DD.62 only).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Montiι and de Dion, "Quelques docu
ments sur le Duchιpairie de Rambouillet,"
Mιmoires et documents publiιs par h Sociιtι
archιologique de Rambouillet 7 (1886),
pp. 208, 227; Jules Badin, La Manufacture
de tapisseries de Beauvais depuis ses origines
jusquδ nosjours (Paris, 1909), p. 13; George
Leland Hunter, The Practical Book of
Tapestries (Philadelphia, 1925), p. 162;
Dr. Szokolny, "Vom amerikanischen Kunst
markt," Cicerone 18 (1926), pp. 271-272;
Edith Standen, "The Story of the Emperor
of China: A Beauvais Tapestry Series,"
Metropolitan Museum of Art Journal χ (1976),
pp. 103-117; Bremer-David, "Acquisitions
1983," no. ι, pp. 173-181, illus.; "Acquisi
tions/1983," GettyMusJn (1984), no. 3,
pp. 261-262, illus.; Edith Standen, "The
Audience of the Emperor from the series
'The Story of the Emperor of China,'"
European Post-Medieval Tapestries and
Hangings in the Metropolitan Museum of
Art (New York, 1985), vol. 2, pp. 461-468;
Jacqueline Boceara, "Voyages du grand
siιcle: Tapisseries de Beauvais, de Bruxelles
et des Gobelins," Les Antiquaires au Grand
Pahis: XLVe biennale internationale (Paris,
1988), pp. 112-118; Jacqueline Boceara, Ames
de Laine et de Soi (Saint-Just-en-Chausιe,
1988), p. 306, illus.; "Acquisitions/1989,"
GettyMusJ 18 (1990), no. 54, pp. 193-194,
illus.
FRENCH TAPESTRIES l6j
