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Tapestry: L'Offrand à Bacchus from Les Grotesques Series (Seated male figure, right side middle)

Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer

The J. Paul Getty Museum

The J. Paul Getty Museum
Los Angeles, United States

The Offering to Bacchus, which shows a decorated pavilion housing a white marble statue of Bacchus, is one of a series of six tapestries known as the Grotesques series. The light subject matter and whimsical decoration appealed to a wide range of purchasers, and the Grotesques became one of the most popular sets produced by the Beauvais manufactory. For over forty years, wealthy patrons ordered hangings from the series.



Not only the decorative subject matter, which contrasted with the more formal biblical and historical themes of other contemporary tapestry series, but also the flexibility of the design made this series popular. Weavers could easily adapt the composition and change the dimensions to fit a specific location without losing the meaning of the design. The orange-brown color of the background, known as tabac d'Espagne (Spanish tobacco), also became extremely fashionable, and a few individuals ordered matching furniture upholstery to complement this unusual shade.

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  • Title: Tapestry: L'Offrand à Bacchus from Les Grotesques Series (Seated male figure, right side middle)
  • Creator: Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer, Guy-Louis Vernansal, Beauvais Manufactory
  • Date Created: about 1688–1732
  • Location Created: Beauvais, France
  • Physical Dimensions: 295.3 × 204.5 cm (116 1/4 × 80 1/2 in.)
  • Type: Textile
  • External Link: Find out more about this object on the Museum website.
  • Medium: Wool and silk; modern cotton lining
  • Terms of Use: Open Content
  • Number: 86.DD.645
  • Culture: French
  • Credit Line: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
  • Creator Display Name: Woven after the design of Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer (French, 1636 - 1699) and Guy-Louis Vernansal (French, 1648 - 1729) Beauvais Manufactory (French, founded 1664)
  • Classification: Decorative Art (Art Genre)
The J. Paul Getty Museum

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