Adam-François van der Meulen (1632-1690)

Adam-François van der Meulen is one of the great names of seventeenth-century painting. His fame is inseparably connected with French tapestry manufacture, the decoration of the palaces of Versailles and Marly and, above all, the glorious age of Louis XIV. Originally from Brussels, the painter entered into the service of the French king in 1664. His most important task at court consisted of recording the military exploits of Louis XIV. Between 1665 and 1681, he accompanied the French troops on as many as nine campaigns. The studies that he made in the field were later elaborated upon in his studio to become paintings or cartoons for tapestries. These tapestries were subsequently produced at the Royal Gobelins Manufactory.
Although Van der Meulen enjoyed great fame at the court, his work was only assigned a purely historical value in the previous century. It is for that reason that his works are still more typically reproduced as illustrations in historical studies than as inclusions in true art books. This is unjust: Van der Meulen made at least as great a contribution to painting in France as he gained from the experience. This book brings together the majority of Van der Meulen's work, depicting it in its entirety and in colour for the first time.