After a series of art produced by Charles Le Brun in the 17th century, this painted canvas is entitled Les Enfants Jardiniers, (The Gardening Children). Our fantastic French toile peinte, which is from circa 1860, depicts 10 children tending a garden beside a classic Fountain. The colorful painting has the children dressed mainly in blue or red clothing, although some are clad in lighter hues, such as pink, white, and cream. Verdant trees line both sides of the painting, partially obscuring towering architecture behind the canopies.

A painting such as this would have most likely been used as a “cartoon”, which was used as a guide by tapestry weavers to produce the studio’s textiles. 18th-century tapestries by the famous Gobelin studio that used Le Brun’s work as a cartoon can be seen in museums across the world, such as the Château de Saumur. Le Brun was the official court painter to Louis XIV, who proclaimed him to be “the greatest artist of all-time”.

CONDITION: Good antique condition. Very light losses in small areas of the main scene, with light age separations seen on the edges. The toile is suspended to a wooden board for hanging purposes (two D-rings have been installed on the back of the board). Old patches to the verso, coupled with a small restored area in the upper left (see detail photos). Some aspects, most noticeably the border, have faded motifs and/or very light creasing.