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an image of a painting of birds and flowers on a walla picture of a painting of flowers and birds on the walla painting of birds and flowers on a brown backgrounda label on a piece of fabric that says avenue de novembera picture of a rug with a picture of leaves on ita picture of a picture of a rooster on a ruga painting of a group of birds in a treea painting of birds and flowers on the walla painting of birds and flowers on the walla painting of birds and flowers on the walla picture of a picture of a display of flowers and plantsa painting of a tree with yellow flowers and birds on itmany different types of flowers displayed on the walla picture of a colorful scarf hanging on a walla picture of a scarf with birds and flowers on it
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Premium Maître François RAULT & THIERRY - LANNON et Associés

452 - DOM ROBERT (1907–1997) (ALSO KNOWN AS GUY DE CHAUNAC-LANZAC)…
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Estimate €20,000 - €30,000
Sale commission
Description
DOM ROBERT (1907–1997) (ALSO KNOWN AS GUY DE CHAUNAC-LANZAC), PAINTER AND CARTOONIST AT THE TABARD FRÈRES & SŒURS LISSIER WORKSHOP IN AUBUSSON ‘Pavane de novembre’ – the design was created in [1962]; our piece was acquired on 7 August 1965 by the current owner from the Tabard Frères et Sœurs Manufactory in Aubusson Large lisse tapestry. Coloured wools. Signed ‘F. ROBERT’ and dated ‘1962’ in the weft at the bottom left, bearing the weaver’s mark ‘TABARD’ in the weft at the bottom right, complete with its original ribbon from ‘TABARD Frères & Sœurs Aubusson’, signed in pen by ‘F. ROBERT’, sewn onto the reverse and bearing handwritten notes in pen on a printed background: ‘Pavane de novembre – Design by Dom ROBERT – H: 1m98 – W: 2m94 – No. 1159 (serial number)’ on the reverse. 198 x 294 cm Provenance: - Mr and Mrs F., Orléans. Work acquired from the Tabard Frères et Sœurs Manufactory in Aubusson on 7 August 1965. A copy of the original invoice (with Mr and Mrs F.’s details redacted), issued by the Manufacture Tabard Frères et Sœurs in Aubusson on 7 August 1965, will be provided to the purchaser. A copy of a letter from Mrs F. dated 9 August 1965, addressed to Mrs Pauly, manager of the Galerie Tabard in Aubusson, will be provided to the purchaser. The contents of the letter: [Dear Madam, this morning we had the great pleasure of receiving the magnificent tapestry by Do[n] Robert. In the sitting room where we have hung it, amongst some antique furniture, I cannot tell you just how marvellous it is. My husband and I never tire of admiring it, and we are still quite moved by it. Therefore, in this very letter, in which we are sending Mr Tabard the agreed payment, I wish to express to you – to whom we owe the pleasure of owning this marvel – all our joy and our deep gratitude. Once again, our heartfelt thanks, and please accept our warmest regards – signed Mrs F.] A copy of a reply from Dom Robert dated 27 December 1965, explaining the origins of the tapestry’s creation, will be provided to the purchaser. Public collection and related work: Cité de Sorèze, Dom Robert and 20th-Century Tapestry Museum, Sorèze – An identical piece, a non-commercial copy re-woven in 2001 by the Goubely-la Beauze workshop in Aubusson, is held in the collections of this institution. Exhibition and related work: Dom Robert, woven works – Jean Lurçat Museum of Contemporary Tapestry, Angers, 30 March to 24 June 1990; Departmental Museum of Tapestry, Aubusson, 4 July to 16 September 1990. An identical piece was exhibited during this event. Bibliography: - Various authors – *La clef des champs*, Dom Robert – Éditions Privat / Abbaye d’En Calcat, Toulouse / Dourgne, 2003. An identical piece is reproduced on pages 102–103. - Various authors – *Les saisons de Dom Robert*, tapestries – Éditions de l’Abbaye d’En Calcat, Dourgne / Éditions Hazan, Paris, 2014. An identical design is reproduced on pages 160 and 197, as well as on page 163 (detail); sketches of the motif are reproduced on pages 161 and 162. - Sophie Guérin-Gasc – Dom Robert, Monk and Artist – Éditions Hazan, Vanves, 2025. An identical design is reproduced on page 170. Dom Robert – November Pavane Regarded as one of the great masters of 20th-century tapestry, Dom Robert (1907–1997) – born Guy de Chaunac-Lanzac – created over 150 tapestry cartoons, most of which feature the motifs of flora and fauna that he loved so much. Having entered the Benedictine Abbey of En Calcat in the Tarn in 1930, he decided to devote his life to his monastic vocation and was ordained a priest in 1937. However, his destiny as a monk soon intersected with his vocation as a tapestry designer. Introduced to painting from childhood and a pupil at the École des Arts Décoratifs, Dom Robert had never given up drawing. He rediscovered the language of painting upon his arrival at the Benedictine monastery through drawing, watercolour and illumination, the designs of which already bore ‘the embryonic universe’ of the future painter and cartoonist (Collective work – *La clef des champs: Dom Robert* – Éditions de l’Abbaye d’En Calcat, Dourgne / Éditions Privat, Toulouse, 2003, p. 40). His true epiphany came upon his return from the war, as early as 1940, when the cry of peacocks inspired him to depict a farmyard scene. In 1941, Jean Lurçat discovered the watercolour resulting from this vision and invited him to transpose it into a tapestry, thus paving the way for a work woven in Aubusson, which was widely circulated and recognised both in France and internationally. Over time, all religious and human figures disappeared from Dom Robert’s designs, giving way to depictions of nature itself, which he perceived as inhabited by God. As a true embodiment of the mystery and beauty of divine Creation, plants and animals became the constant focus of his attention. The monk then produced numerous studies from life in his sketchbooks, capturing the fruits of his long hours spent observing the landscapes around him. His contemplative approach thus brought together his vocations as a monk and an artist. Following a stay in England between 1948 and 1958, his work reached full maturity in the 1960s, bursting with vivid colours inspired by the flora and fauna of the Montagne Noire (Ibid., p. 62). Our tapestry ‘November Pavane’ belongs to this mature and flourishing period. Through his tireless observation of nature and its seasons, Dom Robert captures in this work the yellow foliage of pear trees in autumn – admired in his abbey’s orchard and studied at length in his sketchbooks. The motif extends across the entire tapestry, in the foreground, in an almost abstract manner, and, upon closer inspection, reveals the farmyard birds that also inhabit his surroundings. Its iconography depicts this lush, abundant, bucolic natural world, with its vivid colours, which he contemplated with patience and respect. Expert: Emmanuel EYRAUD
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About the sale MODERN PAINTINGS & BRETON SCHOOLS (Part Two)
Auction location
Auction time 07/18/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures modified on 06/24/2026 at 4:00 PM
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