ETAIL) CRAMOISEE. STYLE LOUIS XV]

Count d'Angivillier kept the Gobelins factory from all originality,
sanctioned only the small wares for original work, and forced a
slavish copying of paintings for the larger pieces. It is not deniable
that some beautiful hangings were produced, but the sad result is that
pieces of so many tones lose in value year by year, through the
gentle, inexorable touch of time; and, more deplorable yet, the
ambition and the originality of the master-weavers was deprived of its
very life-blood, and in time was utterly atrophied.

In the time of Louis XVI, when Marie Antoinette was in the flower of
her inconsiderate elegance, the note of the day was for art to be
small, but perfect; the worth of a work of art was determined by its
size--in inverse ratio. It was a time lively and intellectual and
frivolous, and its art was the reflection of its desire for
concentrated completeness.

In the reign of Louis XVI ripened, not the art of Louis XIV, but the
political situation whose seeds he had planted. The idea of revolution
which started in the little-considered American colonies, took hold of
the thinkers of France, even to the king of little power. But instead
of being a theory of remedy for important men to discuss, it acted as
a fire-brand thrown among the inflammable, long-oppressed Third
Estate--with results deplorable to the art which occupies our
attention.

The Gobelins was already suffering at the debut of the Revolution.
Its management had been relegated to men more or less incapable; its
art standards had been forced lower and lower. Added to that its
operatives were engaged at lessened rates and often had to whistle for
their pay at that. The contractors asked for nothing better than to be
engaged as masters of ateliers at fixed rates.

Then came the full force of the Revolution with such deplorable and
tragic results for the Gobelins. In the madness of the time the
workers here were not exempt from the terrible call of Robespierre.
The almoner of the factory was arrested, and at the end of two months
not even a record existed of his execution, which took place among the
daily feasts of La Guillotine. A high-warp weaver named Mangelschot
met the same fate. Jean Audran, once contractor for high-warp, then
placed at the head of the factory, was arrested, but escaped with
imprisonment only.

During his absence he was replaced as head by Augustin Belle, whose
respect for the Republic