Did you know a single tapestry can take 4 years to complete, employing as many as three to five full-time weavers? The founder of this dynasty, Jehan Gobelin, came from a family of dyers and clothmakers and in the 15th century discovered a scarlet dye that made him famous. By 1601, Henry IV imported 200 weavers from Flanders to make tapestries full-time. Until this endeavor, the Gobelin family hadn't made any tapestries. Colbert, Louis XIV's minister, bought the works, and under royal patronage the craftsmen set about executing designs by Le Brun. After the Revolution, the industry was reactivated by Napoleon. Les Gobelins is still going strong, and some of the antique high-warp looms are still in use. You can visit the ateliers (studios) of the weavers, who sit behind huge screens of thread, patiently inserting stitch after stitch.