Ancient tapestry goes back to the highest antiquity. Invented in the Middle East, this traditional art was continued by the Romans and the Greeks. As of the eleventh century, the Crusades introduced tapestry to the West. Tapestries were easy to transport and were initially used for thermal insulation on the various journeys undertaken by the Court. They provided protection against draughts, the cold, and damp.
Paris, Arras, Beauvais, and Aubusson vied with one another to create prestigious pieces that could rival those produced in Brussels and Flanders. Tapestry became a work of art reserved for the interiors of the wealthy. They portrayed a broad range of themes. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Royal Manufactory of Aubusson produced exceptional works that illustrated grotesques, landscapes, and historical, religious, and mythological scenes.
