Le Petit Boudeur, after Greuze Atelier de Pierre - François et Michel - Henri COZETTE Manufacture des Gobelins Oval-shaped woven portrait in wool and silk depicting a sullen child with his head in his shoulders, expressing his discontent. It is surrounded by a molded and gilded wood frame, carved with a frieze of raisins and a row of pearls. Inscribed "Greuze pxit / Cozette exit 1775". Paris. Louis XVI period. Tapestry: H_45.5 cm L_38.5 cm Frame: H_57 cm L_49.5 cm. (Catalogue historique du cabinet de peinture et sculpture française de M. de La Live, 1764, p. 35) In the 18th century, the Gobelins manufactory was Europe's largest. Its output was considerable, with 1,700 tapestries woven in a single century. This success was due to Colbert's 1662 consolidation of the various Parisian manufactures. These were run by talented master tapestry-makers such as Pierre-François COZETTE, Jacques NEILSON and Michel-Henri COZETTE, who exploited improvements in weaving looms, such as those made by Vaucanson to basse lisse (horizontal) looms. Tapestries became works of art to be admired and given as gifts. Henceforth, they adorned the great residences of Europe and blended perfectly with interior decor. Pierre-François COZETTE (1714 - 1801) is considered one of the greatest Master tapestry-makers of his century. He headed the basse lisse workshop (1733), then became entrepreneur of the haute lisse workshop (1742). His son Michel-Henri (1744 - 1822) succeeded him, and together they completed a number of prestigious commissions. The portrait we present was woven in the format of the original painting by Jean-Baptiste Greuze for the collector Ange-Laurent La Live de Jully (1725 - 1779). The painting is described in Ange-Laurent La Live de Jully's 1764 catalog of his collection as "a small painting by Greuze, called Petit Boudeur, on canvas, sixteen and a half inches high by fourteen wide. It depicts a mutinous Child who, out of mood, reinforces the head in the shoulders; it is difficult to put more truth in a head, and to give it a truer expression". Ange-Laurent La Live de Jully was very close to Greuze. He facilitated his reception into the Académie in 1755, and launched his career by commissioning paintings from him that became famous. In addition, La Live de Jully, who introduced the Ambassadeurs to Versailles, obtained numerous royal commissions for Greuze. La Live owned a dozen paintings by Greuze: "Le portrait de La Live de Jully jouant de la harpe" (The portrait of La Live de Jully playing the harp) exhibited at the Salon of 1759, now in the National Gallery in Washington; "Un enfant qui s'est endormi sur son livre" (A child who has fallen asleep on his book) (Salon of 1755, Musée Fabre, Montpellier). Another equally prestigious collector was Nicolas Beaujon (1718 - 1786), who became banker to the King and the Court, and in 1773 bought the Hôtel d'Evreux (now the Palais de l'Elysée). He built up a very fine collection, including a set of royal portraits woven at the Gobelins by COZETTE, from 1771, including the portrait of Louis XV (fig. 1), after Louis-Michel van Loo, that of Marie Leczinska (fig.2) after Jean-Marc Nattier and that of the dauphin (fig. 3), future Louis XVI, after Louis-Michel van Loo. This series of royal portraits woven by COZETTE was completed, in 1774, by the portrait of Marie-Antoinette (fig. 4) after François-Hubert Drouais, of which he made three versions: the first for Nicolas Beaujon, the second for the king and, finally, the third for the Duc de Penthièvre, who gave it personally to the Princesse de Lamballe.