18th c. Aubusson Tapestry

Somewhere between a garden and a dream, the scene begins to unfold. Woven in wool with the soft, painterly quality Aubusson is known for, this 18th century tapestry found in France is thick with foliage and a watchful bird tucked among the branches, all held within a border that is beginning to loosen at the edges; the surface shows age in the best ways, with gentle fading, areas of hand stitching, and a later backing added for support. Aubusson weavers worked from painted cartoons, translating brushstroke into thread on low-warp looms, which is why these verdure scenes feel almost like landscapes you could step into rather than patterns you simply look at. Sylvie has it hung just off the kitchen, where it softens the room and catches the light above a table set with fruit, bread, and whatever the day has brought in.