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Summer |
Autumn |
Winter |
Spring |
Detail of Winter
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Engravings of allegorical tapestries of the four seasons designed by Charles Le Brun, court painter and manager of decorations for the palaces of King Louis XIV. They combine allegories of the seasons represented by classical gods and goddesses, supporting central medallions, and with border mottos and palace settings aggrandizing the life of Louis XIV. The tapestries were produced prior to 1680 by the famous Gobelins royal tapestry manufacturers as one of their first creations. The original tapestries for Spring and Summer are in the Room of the Congress of the French National Assembly.
Spring depicts Mars, the god of the war, and Venus, the goddess of the love, on a cloud in the gardens of Versailles. They support an oval floral medallion showing King Louis XIV on horseback.
Summer is symbolized by the sun god Apollo and Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, in the gardens of the castle of Fontainebleau. They support an oval floral medallion representing the central house of the Tuileries.
Autumn is represented by the wine god Bacchus and Diana, the huntress. They hold an oval floral medallion showing stag hunting.
Winter shows the god Saturn, portrayed as an old man with wings, along with a muse or allegory of the arts. The setting is a riverbank, and they hold an oval floral medallion picturing a figure with a torch and a fire-breathing dragon.
One of the great French Baroque painters, Charles Le Brun trained under the direction of the painter Simon Vouet, in France and Rome. He became the principal interpreter of the political and artistic prestige of France as First Painter of the court of King Louis XIV. In that capacity he decorated most of the king’s palaces, planned Versailles’ garden statues, and created several grand series of decorative cycles of tapestries to decorate Versailles and other palaces. The famous Gobelins royal tapestry factory was founded in 1662 to produce tapestries for Louis XIV, including Le Brun’s elaborate designs. Among the tapestry series he created were the planets, the worship of Apollo, the four elements, the four seasons, the four hours of the day, the four parts of the world, and the four temperaments of the man. Today, Le Brun's paintings and tapestries are in palaces and museums throughout France, including a large collection in the Louvre.
Sébastian Le Clerc the Elder was a French draftsman and engraver. He was taught drawing and engraving by his father, a goldsmith, then came to Paris where he continued his studies. Under the guidance of Charles Le Brun, who served as First Painter to King Louis XIV, he became a well-regarded engraver, and an extraordinarily busy one – one scholar has catalogued almost 3,400 prints. Le Clerc became a member of the Academy in 1672 and taught perspective there. He also served as Engraver to the King and taught at Gobelins royal tapestry factory.
Spring
Cartouche: FERVET IN INVICTO LODOICI PECTORE MAVORS, BLANDAQVE PVRPVREO FVLGET IN ORE VENVS, CEDITE MORTALES, SEVVI, SEV. SPONTE SEQVENDV EST, CVM SINT TOTIVNCTAE VIRIBVS ILLECEBRAE.
Mottos: ET TEMPORA LAETA REDVCIT
TERRAE AMOR ET DECVS
IVNCTA ARMA DECORI
LVDO PVGNAEQVE PARATVR
SEV VI SEV SPONTE
Summer
Cartouche: EXCELSAS LODOICI AEDES ORNATE TROPHAEIS, AONIDVM DVCTOR, FILIA TVQVE IOVIS. DVM FERA BARBARIES CAMPIS VOS PELLIT ACHIVIS TVM SIBI, TVM VOBIS EXTRVIT ILLE DOMVM.
Mottos: VITAE MELIORIS IN VSVM
CANDORE OMNIA VINCIT
MIRATIVR NATVRA SILENS
DIRIGIT OBLIQVA
TVM SIMI TVM VOBIS
Autumn
Cartouche: DELIA NVNC DAPIBVS MENSAS ONERABIT INEMPTIS BACCHE MERVM FVNDES; QVIS MELIORA DABIT [?] TV DIVVM SOBOLES, LODOIX, QVI DIVITE DEXTRA VIRTVTI EXIMIAE MVNERA LARGA PARAS.
Mottos: PRAESTANT INTERNA CORONAE
CRESCIT IN IMMENSVM
ET FVLMINIS OCYOR ALIS
DVCIT ET EXCITAT AGMEN
QVIS MELIORA DABIT
Winter
Cartouche: HINC SATVRNVS ADE ST LODOICO, HINC NOBILIS HEBE, HANC FACIE HVNC ANIMO CONSILIOQVE REFERT, IVNCTA IVVENTVTI PRVDENTIA SVMMA SENECTAE, AVT SIMILES DIVIS, AVT FACIT ESSE DEOS.
Mottos : NIL FLORERE VETAT
TEMPVS DVLCESCIT AB ILLO
NATVRAM SVPERAT
DELICIA POPVLI
IVNCTA IVVENTVTI PRVDENTIA
References:
Bénézit, E. Dictionnaire critique et documentaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs. France: Librairie Gründ, 1966. Vol. 5, p. 465 (LeClerc).
"Le Patrimoine Culturel de L'Assemblée Nationale Versailles: Les Chefs D'Oeuvre Picturaux." Assemblée-Nationale. http://www.assemblee-nat.fr/histoire/7gb.asp (28 January 2003).
"Versailles La Visite." Editions Montparnasse. 1999. http://www.a-versailles-dvd.com/visite_web/biograph.html (28 January 2003).
"Warp and Woof for the Ages.” Time. 30 September 1966. Online at http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,836458,00.html?promoid=googlep (1 August 2007).