The Valois Tapestries Return to Écouen

The centerpiece of the first retrospective devoted to the painter Antoine Caron (1521-1599) at the Château d'Écouen , the Valois tapestries were commissioned by Catherine de’ Medici. Woven in Brussels between 1575 and 1578, the eight pieces in the series have not been shown in France for over 430 years. They have been kept at the Uffizi in Florence since they arrived there in 1589 as part of the dowry of Christine de Lorraine-Vaudémont (Catherine de’ Medici's beloved granddaughter) when she married Ferdinand, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Restoration work began in 2015 and was completed in 2021. Woven in wool, silk, gold and silver thread, this impressive set covering 140 m 2 (153 sq. yds) is remarkable in every respect, including its high-quality design, the variety of colors, the refined stitches, use of “crapautage” (weft floats) and other sophisticated weaving techniques. "A dazzling synthesis of the artistic and political issues of Catherine de Medici," says Oriane Beaufils, curator at the Château de Fontainebleau. A synthesis that, unfortunately, is not documented in any archives prior to its description in the dowry of Christine de Lorraine. According to Pascal-François Bertrand, professor of Modern Art History at the University of Bordeaux-Montaigne, "The fascination long exerted by the magnificent Valois Tapestries is heightened by the mystery still partly surrounding their history. It is now accepted that the commission came from Catherine de’ Medici or someone close to her, and that the work was made at the beginning of Henri III’s reign. But who the figures were,…