RENAISSANCE STYLE MILLEFLEURS WOVEN WOOL TAPESTRY, FRANCE, EARLY 20TH CENTURY

An exquisite tapestry depicting a "Scène Galante" (Noble Scene) from the renowned La Vie Seigneuriale (The Nobleman's Way of Life) series, originally designed in the Loire Valley circa 1500. The composition features a central noblewoman receiving a sweetmeat from a page, flanked by courtiers in Italianate Renaissance attire - a style popularized in France following the 1495 conquest of Naples. The figures are set against a dense millefleurs (thousand flowers) background, characterized by individual, non-repeating floral sprigs on a dark ground, a hallmark of high Gothic and early Renaissance weaving. Unlike contemporary screened versions, this example displays rich tonal depth and the characteristic ribbing of traditional loom work, capturing the sophisticated pastoral idealism of the French court.

69 × 48 in. (175.3 × 121.9 cm)