At the beginning of the production of lace by the royal factory of Alençon at the end of the 17th century, the decorations of the stitches, then called Points de France, made in the Norman city were influenced by the artists of the court of Louis XIV. Their drawings came directly from the Gobelins workshops directed by Charles Le Brun and logically presented correspondences with the time's marquetry, woodwork, and ironwork. From the 18th century, the designs of Alençon lace became more naturalistic, with the floral repertoire in all its forms as its central theme.