Late XIXth century original Aubusson tapestry watercolour cartoon painting by an artist from the aubusson factory in preparation for the execution of a needlepoint tapestry. Cartoons were created in strips with different weavers doing separate sections particularly for larger commissioned works.

The town of Aubusson, in central France, has been producing tapestries since the 15th century. Schools were established to train the cartoniers and each had their own speciality: flowers, figures, animals, pastorals. Subjects were taken from the Bible, mythology, historical narratives and the surrounding French countryside. The cartoons were originally working patterns for tapestries. In the weaving process the cartoons were pinned below the warp (vertical threads) on the loom. The tapestry was woven with the back of the tapestry facing the weaver so the weaver had to check his work with a hand-held mirror. Each cartoon, by decree, could only be copied eight times as a tapestry. The cartoons could have sections cut out and replaced with a new design or a new border. What prevailed are beautiful 19th century paintings, either oil on canvas or gouache on paper.
Source:
Article in World of Interiors, June 1992