Paris
The «manufacture des Gobelins» (Gobelins factory) started in 1662 as Colbert united 2 workshops: Parisian Weaving and Maincy Weaving. Louis XIV appointed Charles Le Brun, his first painter, head of the factory. Pieces created there were aimed at furnishing royal residences or were offered as diplomatic presents. Its outstanding work became so famous that the factory remained across time one of the most important places in the history of weaving. Nowadays, the Gobelins factory is still in activity and works with many different artists.
The name Gobelin, comes from the Gobelin Famlily, important dyers that settled there in the XVth century on the shore of the Bièvre river (this river is now underground) to use its water and evacuate dying spoils.
Several artists did some work for the factory, amongst them Picasso, Rubens, Matisse or Miro.
It takes an experienced weaver 24 hours to create a hand-size piece of weaving.