Chapter 3

Lent byDemotte.

In all the pieces there are intense sincerity and real grandeur of design. TheLast Judgment, in the musical swinging together of the draperies, the perfect control of the great composition, and in the fine development of the dominance of Christ without sacrifice of the minor episodes, as well as in the power of expression of the thrilling solemnity of the moment, deserves to rank with the greatest interpretations of the subject.

20 BRUSSELS, BEGINNING OF XVI CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.12ft.3in.W.13ft.2in.Formerly in the Morgan Collection.Lent byP. W. French & Company.

SCENES FROM A ROMANCE:A queen surrounded by her court awaits the preparation of a document. There is a general interchange of documents among the courtiers at the right. In the background, upper left, a knight indites a letter, and on the opposite side two knights wait on horseback. The scenes illustrate some contemporary romance and are closely related to the Court of Love tapestries that were so often wovenat this time.

The cartoon, like those of theCourt of Lovescenes, is the work of the studio of Maître Philippe. Jean Van Room probably collaborated, as his signature appears on a very similar tapestry ofDavid and Bathshebain the Royal Spanish Collection.[23]As in that tapestry, the elegantly dressed persons are quite typical of the prosperous burghers of the time and might well be used as fashion plates. The composition is skillful in the balancing of the groups and the massing of the drapes to form a support for the dominant figure of the queen.

21 BRUSSELS, EARLY XVI CENTURY

H.13ft.9in.W.22ft.1in.Barberini Collection; Ffoulke Collection.Illustrated:Ffoulke Collection, opp. p. 43. Exhibited:Exposition d'Art ancien bruxellois, Brussels, 1905, No. XXI. Illustrated:Destrée, Catalogue of same, pl. XXIV.Lent byMrs. Wm. C. Van Antwerp.

THE TRIUMPH OF DAVID:David carrying the head of Goliath on his sword and surrounded by musicians is followed by King Saul and Jonathan on horseback. In the background a hilly landscape with the tents of the Hebrews. A narrow floral border.

The cartoon was painted by Jean Van Room, his signature appearing on another piece[24]of the same series in the Musée du Cinquantenaire, Brussels. Maître Philippe must have collaborated with him in this work, for a strong Italian influence is evident which appears only in the Van Room tapestries that have had Philippe's assistance.

Though the drawing and details show the incoming Renaissance influence, the full continuous narrative arrangement of the group, the strong vertical lines of the figures, and the simple modeling show the tarrying Gothic feeling. The groups are beautifully massed and the individual figures show great dignity.

22 SWITZERLAND, EARLY XVI CENTURY

Wool.H.4ft.3½in.W.7ft.9½in.Formerly in the Collection of Comtesse Desautoy.

TWO PAIRS OF LOVERS:Two pairs of lovers are pictured against a background of vines with blue-green scrolled leaves and large red and yellow blossoms on a dark-blue field. The pair at the right is on either side of a Gothic pedestal on which is a small statue. The ladies are in red robes. One man is in a blue doublet, the other in a two-toned red brocaded cloak. Border of rose-vines and daisies.

The piece was probably woven in Basle, and is undoubtedly adapted from a wood-block illustration in one of Leonhard Ysenmuth's publications. The width and richness of the border indicate that it was done in the early XVIth rather than in the late XVth century.

The subject of pairs of lovers was quite a favorite one with German and Swiss weavers, and a number of them in different styles is left to us. The piece is probably the work of an amateur, a nun, or more probably some lady, who thus filled her long leisure hours. The wood-block print has been closely followed for the figures, even to such minor details as the very simple conventionalization of the hair. The vine background in rather a large scale is common to many Swiss tapestries of the period. The limited range of colors used is especially worthy of note, there being only three shades of blue, three of green-blue, three of tan, and two of red, in addition to the black for the outlines.

Lent byWildenstein & Co.

The work is thoroughly naïve, but it has the strong appeal of genuineness and directness common to naïve designs and shows a strong feeling for decorative quality.

23-25 BRUSSELS, SECOND QUARTER XVI CENTURY

Wool, Silk, Gold.No. 23:H.13ft.5in.W.15ft.4in.No. 24:H.13ft.5in.W.20ft.No. 25:H.13ft.5in.W.20ft.

THREE SCENES FROM THE DEEDS OF SCIPIO:In the first piece(No.23)Scipio enthroned offers the mural crown to Caius Laelius.Roman army officers stand about. In the background the army is assembled.

In the second piece(No.24)Scipio is about to land in Africa.In the foreground two vessels filled with soldiers. In the background the city of Utica.

In the third piece(No.25)Hannibal approaches Scipio to sue for peace.In the background the opposing armies face each other on either side of a river.

The pieces bear the Brussels city mark and the monogram H.M. (Hubert de Mecht). The cartoons are attributed to Giulio Romano, fifteen of the original small drawings being in the Louvre. There are in all eighteen pieces in this set, and two subsequent sets, theTriumphs of Scipioand theFruits of War, make a total of thirty-five pieces in the complete history, one of the largest sequences ever attempted in tapestry.

Illustrated:Hauser y Menet, Los Tapices de la Corona de España, vol. 2, pl. 93;Burlington, 1916, pp. 58-66, in connection with article by George Leland Hunter,Scipio Tapestries Now in America.Lent byDuveen Brothers.

The cartoons have been woven a number of times and examples have been included in many famous collections, including that of Francis I. These pieces were so rich in gold that they were burned to obtain the metal during the Revolution.

These three pieces are from one of the earliest weavings, and in perfection of execution and sumptuousness of material far surpass most of the renderings, ranking with the greatest productions of the early Renaissance. The use of the metal is particularly effective, occurring as it does in three techniques, plain weaving, basket weaving, which always gives a heavy richness, and couching.

The borders with the classical allegorical figures under porticos are of a very fine type, following the example set by Raphael in his panels for theActs of the Apostles.

For vividness of illustration, strength and clarity of silhouette, and delicacy and freshness of color this set is nowhere surpassed.

The Triumph of DavidNo. 21

Two Pairs of LoversNo. 22

26, 27 BRUSSELS, XVI CENTURY

Wool and Silk.No. 26:H.12ft.W.15ft.No. 27:H.12ft.W.16ft.

TWO SCENES FROM THE LIFE OF CYRUS:In the first(No.26)Cyrus captures Astyages,his grandfather.Soldiers stand about, and in the background the army is assembled.

In the second(No.27)Thomyris has the head of Cyrus offered as a human sacrifice.An attendant is placing the head in a gold basin and soldiers standing about draw back in horror. In the background a battle wages.

Illustrated:Hauser y Menet, Los Tapices de la Corona de España, vol. 2, pls. 119, 121.Lent byMr. & Mrs. Daniel C. Jackling.

These two pieces, showing the moment of greatest triumph and the ultimate defeat of Cyrus, the great world conqueror, are from a famous set that has been woven several times. One of these sets, belonging to the royal family of France, was used in the funeral service of Francis II. Another group from the series is in the Royal Spanish Collection. The only set known with a weaver's signature bears the mark of Nicolas Leyniers, and it is entirely probable that all of the examples, including these two, are from those looms.

They are very fine examples of a type of design perfected in the first half of the XVIth century in Brussels. The fullness of details in the background serves to keep the textile rich and interesting and to throw into sharp silhouette the dominant figures. The intricate and decorative borders that are used on these pieces well illustrate one of the most important contributions of the Renaissance to tapestry design.

28 BRUSSELS, XVI CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.8ft.10in.W.7ft.2in.Lent byWilliam Baumgarten & Company.

THE PENTECOST:The Apostles and the members of the Early Church are gathered together. The tongues of fire descend upon them, and the Holy Ghost appears like a dove between the figures of God and Jesus revealed above. A wide border of scroll with inset medallions of biblical scenes. In the upper border a papal coat of arms.

Renaissance tapestries in so intimate a scale that yet are not miniature occur rather seldom. The piece has great clarity and brilliance and carries forcefully the religious feeling of the episode.

In the selvage the Brussels city mark and the weaver's initials, C. S. The mark is unidentified.

29 BRUSSELS, XVI CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.6ft.9in.W.13ft.8in.Lent byWilliam Baumgarten & Company.

JUDITH DEPARTS FOR THE ENEMY'S CAMP:Judith accompanied by her maid takes leave of her mother. Attendants await to lead her away and a slave awaits in the background holding two camels. Wide border of fruits and flowers.

This is one of a very famous set of theStory of Judith and Holofernes, examples of which are in a number of famous collections. The tapestry bears on the selvage the Brussels city mark and the weaver's monogram, N. X. The mark is unidentified.

This piece is a strong example of a set that combines characteristic Renaissance stateliness with a less customary direct charm.

30 BRUSSELS, MIDDLE XVI CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.11ft.3in.W.12ft.9in.Lent byP. W. French & Company.

GARDEN SCENE:Through a trellis upheld by caryatides a formal garden with fountains and pavilions is seen. In the foreground, deer. In the garden, various animals. Border of scrolls and flowers with inset cartouches showing animals.

Such trellis designs as this were quite often used in the middle of the XVIth century. A famous example very similar to this is theVertumnus and Pomonaset, one of which was in the Palace of the Escurial and two in the Barberini Collection.[25]Another piece so like this that it must be the work of the same designer is in the Vienna Collection, number 142.

It is a rich and resourceful kind of decoration well fitted to the requirements of tapestry. The drawing of the deer is unusually graceful and vivacious.

31 FLANDERS, XVI CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.5ft.9in.W.12ft.9in.Lent byMrs. William H. Crocker.

VERDURE:In the center a château surrounded by a moat on which swans and ducks swim about. At the left fishermen on the bank and a hunter with his dogs. On the right mounted hunters chasing rabbits through a wood.

The high-keyed landscape on a small scale was the Renaissance successor to the Gothic millefleurs. The drawing in this piece is beautifully clean and exact, and the color delightfully and uncommonly varied and vibrant. The château is so carefully rendered that it is valuable as an architectural record. The piece may have been made by Flemish weavers working in England.

32 FLANDERS, LATE XVI CENTURY

Wool.H.9ft.W.23ft.Lent byW. & J. Sloane.

HUNTING SCENE:Hunters riding through a woodland. In the foreground a knight and lady strolling. Scroll border.

This piece is a rather uncommon variation of a familiar type. Many tapestries were woven in Flanders in the second part of the XVIth century that were predominantly verdure with a few minor figures, but the figures were seldom as delicately drawn nor the colors so high in key and clear. It is quite possible that the piece was woven by Flemish weavers in England, a few pieces woven there by the Poyntz family being known to have somewhat the same quality. The relatively low height in proportion to the great length also suggests that it was made for an English house.

Hannibal Approaches Scipio to Sue for PeaceNo. 25

Cyrus Captures Astyages, His GrandfatherNo. 26

33 FLANDERS, ENGHIEN (?), XVI CENTURY

Wool.H.9ft.7in.W.7ft.9in.Lent byDikran K. Kelekian.

VERDURE:Large scrolling leaves, bluish-green, with bunches of fruit and flowers and small finches. Wide border of fruit and flowers.

Verdures of this type were very much in demand in the Renaissance period. They are typical of the decorative manner of the time and one of its finest inventions.

The heavy, simple leaves are often too obvious and too readily explored for the best tapestry decoration; but in this piece the beautifully drawn birds provide delicacy and interest of detail.

34 BRUGES, MIDDLE XVI CENTURY (1556)

Wool and Silk.H.9ft.1in.W.8ft.9in.Lent byP. W. French & Company.

ARMORIAL:Two amorini support a shield. Above, crossed banners; below, dolphins. Six flags radiate from the shield, each bearing the initial P surmounted by a crown. Border of scrolls and classic figures.In cartouches in the side and lower borders the initials F,G,and X respectively,and in the corresponding cartouche of the top border the date, 1556.On the right lower selvage is the city mark of Bruges, with the weaver's monogram, A. F.[26]

This tapestry is very interesting, not only because it is a clear, strong example of a Renaissance heraldic hanging, but because very few pieces of the period can be ascribed definitely to Bruges although it is known that important looms flourished there. The weaver's monogram has not been identified. The coat of arms, which is also unidentified, seems to be Spanish, and judging by the coronet evidently belonged to a family of high station. The amorini are after a follower of Giulio Romano, if not by Romano himself.

The relief effect of the design is quite extraordinary.

35 BRUSSELS, XVI CENTURY (1574)

Wool, Silk, Gold.H.with frame, 4ft.W.with frame, 3ft.9in.

THE CRUCIFIXION:Christ and the two thieves on the crosses. In the foreground, right, the Roman soldiers; left, the sorrowing Marys. Floral border.Dated in cartouche in the border, 1574.

This is one of a number of small tapestries in silk and gold of religious subjects, most of which have been attributed to Bernard Van Orley, who probably designed this piece also. They are all of them very exact reproductions of paintings, remarkable in weave and very beautiful in color. The type was first woven in the first quarter of the XVIth century, and continued to be produced in very limited numbers until well into the XVIIth century. They were undoubtedly woven only for special orders—probably for private chapels.

The piece is a very brilliant example of one of the richest types of tapestry that has ever been woven.

Lent byP. W. French & Company.

Bernard Van Orley (1492-5 to 1540) was trained by his father, Valentin, and afterwards studied under Raphael in Italy. He was engaged to supervise the translation of Raphael's cartoons for the famous series of theApostlesinto tapestry. In 1518 he became court painter. He designed many tapestries, of which the most famous are theHunts of Maximilianand theVictory of Paviaseries.

36 FONTAINEBLEAU, MIDDLE XVI CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.11ft.W.17ft.

GROTESQUES:On a red ground, grotesques, of which the principal features are: in the center Flora in an arbor on the top of which stands Atlas upholding the world; two cartouches left and two right with candelabra and various deities. Below at the left in a small oval medallion Leda and the Swan, and in the corresponding medallion on the other side Eve and the Serpent. The remaining spaces are filled with amorini, garlands of fruit and flowers, gods, and various ornaments. Narrow floral borders, and in the center of both side borders a triangle.

The triangles in the border are the Deltas, the ciphers of Diane de Poitiers, indicating that this piece was woven in the reign of Henry II for Diane, possibly for the Château d'Anet.

Lent byP. W. French & Company.

For fertile and varied imagination this piece is quite uncommon even among grotesques, the most imaginative type of decorative tapestries. It exhibits a most entertaining sense of humor and shows a capricious independence never found in the more formal Flemish grotesques of the time.

37 FONTAINEBLEAU, MIDDLE XVI CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.12ft.8in.W.8ft.

TRIUMPH OF DIANA:The goddess in a blue robe, bearing her bow and arrows, drives a pale-blue chariot on which a nymph is tied prisoner. Love, whose wings are beautifully multicolored, also is a prisoner. Diana's attendants, garbed in blue and red tunics, follow on foot, one in the foreground in a green tunic leading a large grey-hound. In the border shells alternate with crescents on a blue ground and in the corners above are crescents and rams' heads. The mottoes "Non Frusta Jupiter Am Bas" and "Sic Immota Manet" are in the upper and lower borders respectively.[27]

The tapestry was evidently made for Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henry II, the subject being chosen as a personal tribute.

Formerly in the Collection of Edouard Kann, Paris.

Aside from its evident beauty, the piece is important because it is one of the few remaining examples of the work of the Fontainebleau looms, which adapted to tapestry the characteristic Italian-French Renaissance decoration that was formulated in the frescoes of Fontainebleau. There are few documents left on these looms, but it is known that le Primatice made designs for tapestries woven there, and, judging from the drawing of the figures with the long limbs and heavily marked muscles that reflect the influence of Michael Angelo, and the contour of the small heads with the hair flowing back and the classical features, together with such other details as the long flexible fingers, this piece would seem to be an example of his work. If not by le Primatice, it was certainly done directly under his influence; but it could scarcely be by Baudouin, judging from the recently discovered set in the Viennese exhibition,[28]for it has more poise and clarity of space than any of those tapestries.

The CrucifixionNo. 35

Grotesques No.36

For grace and charm, without any loss of strength, this surpasses most French work of the period. It is an unusually typical illustration of the French Renaissance which took the technique of the Italian revival of the antique and refashioned it to her own spirit, giving the classic goddesses, even in their dignity, youthful and feminine appeal, and refining the Italian opulence. The floreation in the foreground is as delicate as in a XVIth-century millefleurs, and the colors are unusually luminous.

Lent byWildenstein & Company.

Francesco Primaticcio (1504-1570) studied under a disciple of Raphael and worked with Giulio Romano on the decorations of the Palace de Te, Mantua. In 1532 he went from Italy to Fontainebleau to work on the decorations there. In 1540 he returned to Italy to collect works of art for the king. He returned to France and continued to create decorations at Fontainebleau with a large staff of Italian painters as his collaborators. Under Francis II he became Superintendent of the Building.

38 PARIS, EARLY XVII CENTURY

Wool.H.13ft.W.16ft.9in.

THE NIOBIDES:Apollo and Artemis from a cloud shoot down the children of Niobe, thus avenging their mother, who had been outraged by Niobe's boasting that she had the more children. Border of fruit garlands and figures in camaieux.

Formerly in Marnier-Lapostalle Collection, Paris.Reproduced:Guiffrey, Les Gobelins et Beauvais, p. 15;Hauser y Menet, Los Tapices de la Corona de España, vol. 2, pl. 132.Lent byJacques Seligmann & Company.

The tapestry is one of the Artemis series designed for Marie de Medici by Toussaint du Breuil. It was woven on the looms which were under the direction of Marc Comans and François de la Planche, and which later became the Gobelins state manufactory. The cartoons were repeated many times with different borders. Judging by the border, this piece was woven about 1611.

The piece is a splendid example of the dramatic and monumental character of the productions of the pre-Gobelins looms.

The sensitive feeling for decorative fitness and the reserve that are evident in French designs from the Gothic period on differentiate such a cartoon as this from the contemporary Flemish productions, usually so violent and exaggerated in scale, in drawing, and in emotional expression. For, though dramatic, the scene is restrained and the figures have an almost sculptural detachment. This quality is sustained by the fine architectural border, which is very typical of the Paris looms of this period.

Toussaint du Breuil (1561-1602) painted decorations in the Pavilions des Poêles at Fontainebleau, and also in the Galerie des Rois in the Louvre. Most of his work has perished.

39, 40 GOBELINS, XVI CENTURY

Wool and Silk.No. 39:H.7ft.9in.W.13ft.6in.No. 40:H.7ft.9in.W.11ft.

TWO SCENES FROM THE HISTORY OF CLEOPATRA:In the first(No.39)Cleopatra attended by two maidens greets a young prince who is being introduced to her by a general.In the harbor the young stranger's ship is seen.

In the second(No.40)Cleopatra welcomes a young man.An attendant holds a heavy canopy of silk. Beyond, a Greek temple is seen.

Side borders, only, of classic decorations on a red ground with inset medallions showing the Judgment of Paris.

Formerly in the Collection of Lord Lovelace.Lent byWilliam Baumgarten & Company.

The pieces both signed in the lower right corner—Lefébvre, with the fleur-de-lis and G. They do not, however, appear on the records of the Gobelins, so they must have been done by Lefébvre outside of the official work.

They are strong and fresh examples of the early work of the Gobelins weavers, and typical of the classicism of the late Renaissance in France. The requirements of mural decoration are met by the monumental character and sculptural poise of the figures, but at the same time the design is adapted to a decorative textile through the perfection of the detail and the richness of the colors.

41 FLANDERS, BEGINNING OF XVII CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.7ft.10in.W.13ft.4in.Lent byMrs. C. Templeton Crocker.

VERDURE:A formal garden with fountains and a château in the distance and various birds in the foreground.

Such landscape tapestries were a characteristic late Renaissance interpretation of the verdure type, a transition between the Gothicmillefleurs, that were really originally landscapes without perspective (cf. No. 11), and the XVIIth-century verdures (cf. No. 43). It is a very successful form of verdure, for they are broadly effective from a distance and yet have a sufficient wealth of detail to yield interest on closer exploration. The birds in this piece are especially carefully observed and well drawn, and the purity and vivacity of the color is exceptional for this type.

42 BRUSSELS, LATE XVII CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.13ft.W.12ft.

AMERICA:In a tropical landscape an Indian with bow and arrows caressing a crocodile. Two children beside him smoking pipes. In the background on a hill a mission; in the foreground a heap of fruits and flowers and precious objects symbolic of the wealth of the New World. Border of fruits and flowers with corner medallions representing North, East, South, and West. On the lower selvage the Brussels city mark and the signature, I. V. D. BEURCHT.

Another example in Musée Impériale des Ecuries, Petrograd, No. 117.Lent byP. W. French & Company.

The piece is one of a set of four representing the four quarters of the globe. It was woven by Jean Van der Beurcht, one of the great weavers of Brussels, who is known to have been working there between 1690 and 1710. The Van der Beurchtfamily had for several generations been painters, Jean being the first to turn from that profession to tapestry weaving. He was followed by several other members of the family (cf. No. 56), all of whom did work of the highest quality.

The piece is a splendid illustration of the romantic attitude toward America at the time and a reminder of the importance America had to Europeans as a source of wealth. The mission on the hill, and another mission settlement in the valley of which a glimpse can be caught, are of especial interest.

43 FLANDERS, XVII CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.11ft.10in.W.11ft.Lent byP. W. French & Company.

VERDURE WITH BEAR HUNT:In a forest of large trees hunters shooting and spearing bears. In place of a border, large columns at the sides with floral garlands hung between them across the top.

The piece is a type of verdure, numbers of which with many variations were produced in Flanders during the XVIIth century. It is one of a set of five, and is a very strong, fresh example.

The substitution of massive columns for formal borders is characteristic of the Baroque period and serves the better to adapt the tapestry to the prevailing architecture.

44 BRUSSELS, XVII CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.11ft.W.18ft.8in.From the Morgan Collection, No. 17. Another example in the Swedish Royal Collection.

TRIUMPH OF AUGUSTUS AND LIVIA:Caesar offers the crown of victory to Augustus, who kneels before him. He is surrounded by his attendants and his chariot waits in the background. The side borders are of flower-draped columns, top and bottom borders of fruit and flower garlands, with ornaments. On the side borders are cartouches bearing the insignia: Pax. Aug. and Vic. Aug. (Pax Augusta and Victoria Augusta).

The piece is one of a series on theHistory of Julius Caesar, three of which were in the Morgan Collection. It has all the abundance and dramatic emphasis characteristic of the Baroque period.

Illustrated:Böttiger, Svenska Statins Samling, vol. 3, pl. XLII.Lent byP. W. French & Company.

The massive yet active figures, the large folded, swinging drapes, the luxurious and heavy accessories are all typical of the work of a time when the large, the impressive, and the elaborate were sought in all forms of art. The manner was introduced into tapestry cartoons by Rubens and carried on by many of his pupils and imitators. Even the outline of the composition of this piece follows closely that of Rubens' famousTriumphs, from which the suggestion for the cartoon was undoubtedly taken.

45 FLANDERS, XVII CENTURY

Wool, Silk, Gold.H.3ft.1in.W.4ft.Lent byDuveen Brothers.

THE VIRGIN AND CHILD:The Virgin in a pale red gown with a dark-blue cloak falling about her is seated on the ground. The child holding a staff in the form of a cross sits on her knee. Beyond is a castle, and against the sky a high mountain. Wide floral border. The high lights are in gold.

This is a most exceptional piece of tapestry, evidently made to special order, probably for a private chapel, after an Italian Renaissance painting. The excessive fineness of the weave and the unstinted use of gold to render the high lights indicate that it was made for a person of wealth and importance.

The painting is faithfully and delicately reproduced and the border is remarkably rich and glowing.

46 BRUSSELS, LATE XVII, EARLY XVIII CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.12ft.W.17ft.6in.Lent byP. W. French & Company.

SANCHO IS TOSSED IN A BLANKET:Sancho, following Don Quixote's example, has refused to pay the innkeeper, as that is against the tradition of knights-errant and their squires. So the clothmakers of Segovia and the needlemakers of Cordova who chance to be there toss him in a blanket, while Don Quixote sits without on his horse cursing lustily.

The piece is one of a set of illustrations ofDon Quixoteafter David Teniers the Younger. The scene has all the casual and convincing informality and boisterous good spirits for which Teniers' paintings are famous. It quite catches the spirit of the romance which it illustrates. The landscape vista is unusually lovely in color.

David Teniers the Younger (1610-1694) was trained principally under his father, David the Elder, also famous for paintings of peasant episodes. In 1633 he became Master of the Guild of St. Lukes, and thereafter was Dean of the Guild and painter to the governor, Archduke Leopold William, a position which he continued to hold under the next governor, Don Juan of Austria. In 1663 he helped form the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts. He painted innumerable pictures of peasant scenes, many of which have been rendered in tapestry.

47, 48 BRUSSELS, XVIII CENTURY

Wool and Silk.No. 47:H.11ft.W.8ft.9in.No. 48:H.11ft.W.8ft.9in.Lent byDuveen Brothers.

TWO PEASANT SCENES:In the first(No.47)a group of peasants has stopped to rest and talk beside a stream that comes tumbling down in broken cascades beneath a high stone bridge. On the hills in the background are farmhouses and the ruins of castles.

In the second(No.48)a group of peasants sits and stands about under a tree in a meadow,in which cattle and goats wander.In the background is a farmhouse.

These tapestries after Teniers are typical of his illustrations of life among the peasants and of his decorative and romantic yet realistic landscapes. They are in weaving and color of the best quality of examples of this type.

Triumph of DianaNo. 37

The NiobidesNo. 38

49 MORTLAKE, LATE XVII CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.10ft.4in.W.7ft.6in.Formerly in the Collection of Sir John Ramsay.Lent byFrank Partridge, Inc.

PEASANTS IN A LANDSCAPE:A group of peasants has stopped by the wayside in a mountainous landscape. Above is a shield bearing the inscription "Iocatur in Parvis sorts ut cum Magna Mercede Fallat."

The cartoon is after Teniers. The Mortlake renditions of these cartoons, which were borrowed from Flanders, have a clarity and sharpness that give them marked distinction. The towering mountain landscape is really impressive.

The rendition of the water is unusually realistic without any loss of decorative interest. The translation of water into a woven design is one of the most difficult problems of the craft. It has been given many solutions, of which this is the most naturalistic.

50 BEAUVAIS, LATE XVII CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.10ft.W.8ft.8in.Lent byMrs. James Creelman.

HERMES AND THE SHEPHERD:Hermes has taken the Shepherd's pipe, leaving the caduceus on the ground, and is attempting to play. They are in a wood with large flowers in the foreground. In the background there is a glimpse of a hilly landscape and a formal garden with fountains. Wide floral border.

The piece is one of a set of five verdures, most of which have hunting scenes. While there is no signature, and there are no records on them, the character of the foliage and of the floreation makes it almost certain that these are of Beauvais manufacture. While in some details they resemble contemporary Aubusson tapestries, the quality of the color is rather different.

They are a particularly deep and quiet type of verdure, an excellent background for fine furnishings. The quality of the greens is uncommonly fine.

51 BEAUVAIS, BEGINNING OF XVIII CENTURY

Wool and Silk.H.10ft.9in.W.13ft.3in.Lent byDikran K. Kelekian.

VERDURE WITH DANCING NYMPHS:In a wooded dell are four nymphs dancing. Beyond is a glimpse of an open pasture with cows.

The strong and brilliant trees throw into sharp contrast the delicate perfection of the bit of landscape beyond. The nymphs are probably after Noël Coypel. The use of the red to relieve the general tone of green is especially successful.

52 BEAUVAIS, 1685-1711

Wool, Silk, Gold.H.15ft.8in.W.11ft.10in.Formerly in the Lord Amherst Collection.Illustrated:Badin, La Manufacture de la Tapisserie de Beauvais, opp. p. 4.Lent byP. W. French & Company.

THE CONQUEST OF LOUIS THE GREAT:Louis XIV on horseback with two attendants points with his cane to the siege of a city whose defenses are surrounded by water. In the upper border appear the arms of Count Bruhl of Saxony. The piece is one of a set of seven.

This is a very rare example from one of the earliest sets woven at Beauvais when the factory was under the direction of Behagle. The cartoon was designed either by Van der Meulen or his greatest pupil, Jean-Baptiste Martin, later called Martin of the Battles, because of a famous series of cartoons which he made for the Beauvais works illustrating the victories of Sweden over Denmark.

The richness of the king's group stands out brilliantly against the clear, cool color and sharp geometrical lines of the background. The city with its canals and buildings is exquisitely rendered, an interesting anticipation of an aeroplane view.

Adam Frans Van der Meulen (1632-1690) was a native of Brussels and studied there under Peter Snayers, but on recommendation of Le Brun was invited by Colbert to Paris, where he was pensioned by the king and given apartments in the Gobelins. In 1673 be was received into the Academy. He collaborated with Le Brun in making designs for the Gobelins, notably for the series ofThe History of the King.

53-56 BRUSSELS, BEGINNING XVIII CENTURY

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