DOM ROBERT (1907-1997) Autumn Tapestry Carton de 1943 Signed lower right and monogrammed lower left Tabard et Frères workshop, Aubusson Accident Height 253 cm - Width 358 cm Benedictine monk and tapestry cartonnier Dom Robert (Guy de Chaunac Lanzac) is one of the masters of contemporary tapestry. His vocation as an artist and his religious vocation found fulfillment at the Benedictine abbey of En Calcat in the Tarn region, where he entered in 1930. But it was his meeting with Jean Lurçat in 1941 that marked the beginning of his artistic career, which was part of a veritable revival of 20th-century tapestry. Dom Robert is known for his poetic and subtle creations, which celebrate nature and the cycles of life. Trained in France's leading tapestry manufacturers, he blends tradition and innovation, drawing inspiration from landscapes, the seasons and decorative art. His works, marked by chromatic richness and an acute sense of detail, can be found in private collections in France and abroad, as well as in public collections. Our tapestry entitled "L'Automne" is one of Dom Robert's earliest tapestries, and already reflects his unique talent for sublimating the play of light and texture, capturing the flamboyant hues and melancholy emotions characteristic of this season. A true masterpiece of sensitivity, this piece is one of his most emblematic creations. Created in 1943, after L'Été (1941) and Le Printemps (1942), our tapestry is Dom Robert's third carton. It was woven by the Tabard workshop in Aubusson, with whom Don Robert worked until 1980. Eight copies of this carton were woven between 1943 and 1956. According to the Tabard workshop archives and the weaving sheet, the example on offer is the 7th woven in 1951. A similar example is in the collections of the Mobilier National in Paris.