Noble pastorale

As director of the royal workshops at Beauvais for more than 30 years, Francois Boucher’s work spanned more than 400 tapestries. His Rococo landscapes proved very popular in the 18th century, during the reign of Louis the XV. “Noble pastorale” is part of a series designed by Boucher. The originals were 12 x 19 feet long. This particular scene from the larger work depicts a lovely countryside with a couple courting by a lake. Boucher was a master at capturing emotion in his work as well as the beauty of nature. In fact, the very word “pastorale” means countryside and farmland in Italian, which is captured so richly here by Boucher. This tapestry is lined and has a tunnel for easy hanging.