Large Early 18th Century Verdure Tapestry Wall Hanging

Price on request

Verdure Vision: A Majestic Early 18th Century Tapestry

Behold the sort of textile that once whispered across candlelit château walls, setting the scene for powdered wigs and courtly intrigue. This ravishing early 18th century Verdure tapestry—French or Flemish in origin—is not just décor; it’s a slice of pastoral theatre woven in wool.

Dimensions of Drama: W 255 cm x H 263 cm. Yes, it’s large. Yes, it will dominate your room—in the best possible way.

In the foreground, a bird indulges in a leisurely bath while a grand tree unfurls its leafy boughs like nature’s own canopy bed. The setting? An idyllic riverside town in the background, nestled among softly rolling greens, conjuring the dreamiest version of countryside serenity.

The palette remains surprisingly vibrant for its age, with the inimitable warmth of organic dyes like madder red and dreamy woad blue. No harsh chemicals, just pure historical pigment perfection. (The kind of tones that make new textiles weep in envy.)

Handwoven in wool, this tapestry bears weight and finesse. While it may have been trimmed down (likely on the right), a period-appropriate border was skillfully added—suggesting this textile has always been deeply loved and valued.

Condition (aka: still fabulous): There are historic repairs, discreetly executed in natural-toned wool by expert hands—history stitched with reverence. The reinforcement along the top, with linen and eyehooks, makes it ready for immediate display in your salon, library, or dramatic stairwell. The backside is covered with heavy natural linen as well. Be sure to study the detailed photos closely—they reveal the tapestry’s story and condition, from its craftsmanship to its time-earned character.

A Little Backstory (because this textile has seen more than you)

Tapestries like these weren’t just wall candy—they were the status symbols of their day. Beautiful, portable, and proof that you belonged to the top of society. Often commissioned by nobility and hung in chilly stone halls to insulate, impress, and intimidate in equal measure.

Verdure tapestries, in particular, were loved for their romantic depictions of nature. They offered a view of lush forests and calm brooks—even if your estate had neither. And let’s not forget: they were a movable feast, rolled up and taken from château to château.

Greens, Glories, and 18th Century Dye Alchemy
The greens in this tapestry are especially divine—subtle, layered, and very much the result of 18th-century dye wizardry. Unlike today’s synthetic shortcuts, natural dyes were coaxed from roots, leaves, and minerals. Madder gave rich reds, woad lent its signature moody blue, and clever dyers would over-dye yellow (often from weld, chamomile or dyer’s broom) with indigo or woad to achieve those exquisite mossy greens you see here—each shade with its own quiet drama. No two batches were ever quite the same, which means this piece doesn’t just show you a landscape—it holds within it the landscape of its own making. A woven forest, dyed by a real one.

This piece is for the collector, the aesthete, the lover of art with true patina and a lot of soul. Because, if you choose textile art, it may as well be 300 years old and dripping in pastoral poetry!

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