Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Gobelins factory was founded in the 15th century with the Gobelin family, dyers renowned for their scarlet, installed near Bièvre in the Faubourg Saint-Marcel. Their reputation eclipsed that of the other craftsmen, giving his name to the neighborhood and the river. In 1601 Henry IV installed two Flemish tapestrymakers, Marc de Comans and François de La Planche, to reduce imports of foreign tapestries. The king granted them exclusive privileges, tax exemptions and free housing, marking the beginning of high-quality local production.

Under Louis XIV, Colbert reorganized the factory in 1662, bringing together Parisian workshops in the former Clos Eudes de Saint-Merry. He appointed Charles Le Brun, the king's first painter, to his direction. The latter set up teams of artists (paintings, tapestries, goldsmiths) and produced hangings for royal residences and diplomatic gifts. The factory became a symbol of the Versaillais fascist, with innovations such as the "Dutch tincture" introduced by Jean Glucq. In 1667 a royal edict formalized his organization, granting social benefits to the workers.

The French Revolution marked a critical turning point: the manufacture, attacked for its monarchic symbols, saw its orders fall and its numbers reduced. In 1793 tapestries with feudal motifs were burned, and in 1795 royal series were destroyed to recover gold and silver. Despite these losses, the factory survived through reforms, such as the reopening of the apprenticeship school. Under Napoleon, she experienced a resurgence of activity, weaving imperial scenes after David or Gros, before refocusing herself on state orders under the Restoration.

In the 19th century, innovations multiplied: in 1825, the smooth bass trades were transferred to Beauvais, and the manufacture specialized in high smooth. Eugène Chevreul, director of dyes from 1824 to 1883, revolutionized the colour palette with its chromatic circle, reducing by half the number of shades needed. La Savonnerie, originally located in Chaillot, joined the site in 1826. Despite the fire of 1871 during the Commune, which destroyed some of the buildings and collections, reconstruction allowed for modernization.

In the 20th century, the factory opened to contemporary art, collaborating with major artists such as Picasso, Léger, Miró or Vasarely. Ranked a historic monument in 1993, it now depends on the National Furniture and perpetuates a double heritage: the preservation of ancient techniques (natural dyes, traditional looms) and adaptation to modern creations. The Galerie des Gobelins, renovated in 2007 for its 400th anniversary, now exhibits the collections of the National Furniture.

The architecture of the site, marked by successive enlargements (chapelle de Jacques V Gabriel in 1723, buildings of François Chabrol in 1870, museum of Formigé and Jaussely in 1922), maintains historical coherence. The facades decorated with cariatides by Injalbert and bas-reliefs by Landowski bear witness to his prestige. The factory remains a place of formation, production and exhibition, illustrating four centuries of French textile heritage.

Future

At the initiative of Arnauld Brejon de Lavergnée, the Galerie des Gobelins reopened its doors in 2007 as a place of exhibition of the collections of the National Furniture to celebrate 400 years of the creation of the Manufacture des Gobelins by Henri IV.

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