Audio GuideManufacture des Gobelins
Long-established & famed tapestry factory, still in use, with temporary exhibitions & guided tours.
Museum
Paris, France
Manufacture des Gobelins originated as a medieval dyeing workshop established by the Gobelin family. Over the years, it transformed into a prestigious royal tapestry factory, serving the French court during the reign of Louis the Fourteenth. This evolution was guided by prominent individuals such as Charles Le Brun, a court painter known for his royal artworks, and Jean-Baptiste Colbert, whose reforms advanced the manufactory significantly. In the early seventeenth century, Flemish artisans introduced new techniques that greatly enriched tapestry creation.
Situated at forty-two Avenue des Gobelins in the thirteenth arrondissement of Paris, the location includes several seventeenth-century buildings, along with a structure added in nineteen twelve. These buildings maintain the original workshops, providing an authentic glimpse into history. Today, the manufactory is overseen by a state institution under the French Ministry of Culture. It continues to create masterpieces for governmental use while also welcoming visitors.
Guided tours can be arranged on weekday afternoons, and the museum's Galerie des Gobelins displays temporary exhibitions celebrating the rich history of tapestry art. The techniques practised here are among the finest globally, matching the esteemed textiles of Japan and Persia. An intriguing part of its history includes a brief venture in London during the early eighteenth century.
Listen to this and other guides in app
