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Lot Essay
This series of tapestries, depicting The History of Diana, was one of the most successful tapestry sets designed by the Parisian workshop of faubourg Saint-Marcel in the early 17th Century. Over twenty different sets have been identified, including three made for the French crown and one each for the Spanish ambassador, cardinal Barberini and cardinal Richelieu.
This tapestry depicts Diana pleading with Jupiter, her father, to receive the boon of perpetual chastity like Athena who sits in the foreground, pointing towards Diana. The design for the tapestry, today in the Musée du Louvre, is attributed to Toussaint Dubreuil (1561-1602). Dubreuil was appointed peintre ordinaire of Henry III and was charged with the decoration of the Pavillion des Poesles at Fontainebleau and the Galerie d'Apollon at the Louvre. It is probable that he drew the designs for the eight tapestries between 1597 and 1600, but it is not entirely clear when the first set was woven. It is certain that the first set was woven before 1606 as cardinal Maffeo Barberini visited Fontainebleau at that time to choose a series of tapestries for cardinal Montaolto and he found this set particularly appealing and appropriate. One set of these tapestries, with the orginal cartoons, is mentioned in 1627 in the inventory drawn up on the death of Franois de la Planche. Two further panels were later added to extend the series to ten tapestries. The first border design by Dubreuil was probably only used on two sets, while the design of this border, more directly evoking the hunting theme, was much more popular. This latter border is related to that of the borders on the Gombaut et Macée series and can thus be attributed to Laurent Guyot, who is believed to be its author. The weaving of The History of Diana tapestry series to these cartoons only ceased in the mid-1630s when Simon Vouet introduced a new style of imagery to the weaver's ateliers of Paris.
It is probable that this tapestry belongs to one of the last sets woven, bearing the initial of Raphaël de la Planche in the lower right corner. His father, Franois de la Planche and Marc de Comans as well as Jérôme de Comans had formed an association to establish an atelier in Paris in 1601. Franois de la Planche and Marc de Comans finally received a Royal decree for the founding of their tapestry manufacture in the faubourg Saint-Marcel in 1607. Upon the death of the first in 1627 and the retirement of the second in 1628, their sons took over the workshop. This association only lasted until 1633 when Raphaël de la Planche moved his own atelier in the faubourg Saint-Germain. This tapestry is likely to have been woven in his new studio in the mid-1630s.
Dominique Séguier (1593-1659) whose coat-of-arms are at the top of this tapestry, was bishop of Auxerre and brother of Pierre Séguier, chancellor of France under kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV. It is interesting to note that the latter took up his post in 1635, during the time when this tapestry was probably woven. Three further tapestries of this set, bearing the same coat-of-arms, are known to exist. One depicting Diana and Apollo killing the Children of Niobe is at château de Chambord, while Diana Shooting an Arrow at Orion and Diana and Britomartis were at French & Co. (Chefs-d'oeuvre de la Tapisserie, exhibition catalogue, 1996, pp. 124-141, and M. Fenaille, Etat Général des Tapisseries de la Manufacture des Gobelins, Paris, 1923, vol. I, pp. 231-240).
A set of eight tapestries, the earliest surviving suite, is in the Spanish Royal Collection (P. Junquera de Vega and C. Diaz Gallegos, Catalogo de Tapices del Patrimonio Nacional, Madrid, 1986, vol. II, pp. 6014, series 43, this subject being panel 5), while the another set of six tapestries is at the Palace of Holyroodhouse (M. Swain, Tapestries and Textiles, 1988, pp. 50-55, cat. 14, this subject being panel C). A set of five tapestries from this series, including this subject, from the property of Archbold van Beuren, Gray Craig, Newport, were sold Christie's house sale, 23-24 July 1985, lot 227, and again anonymously at Christie's New York, 11 January 1994, lots 220-224, this lot being lot 220. Another tapestry of this subject from the property of the Savile Family, Rufford Abbey, Nottinghamshire, were sold in these Rooms, 17 November 1938, lot 75, and again from the collection of Major The Hon. John Fermor-Hesketh, in these Rooms, 8 June, 1961, lot 155, while another set of six tapestries from the series, including this subject and with the arms of the Pallavicini Family, from the property of The Pierpont Morgan Library, were sold in these Rooms, 6 July 1961, lot 53.
This tapestry depicts Diana pleading with Jupiter, her father, to receive the boon of perpetual chastity like Athena who sits in the foreground, pointing towards Diana. The design for the tapestry, today in the Musée du Louvre, is attributed to Toussaint Dubreuil (1561-1602). Dubreuil was appointed peintre ordinaire of Henry III and was charged with the decoration of the Pavillion des Poesles at Fontainebleau and the Galerie d'Apollon at the Louvre. It is probable that he drew the designs for the eight tapestries between 1597 and 1600, but it is not entirely clear when the first set was woven. It is certain that the first set was woven before 1606 as cardinal Maffeo Barberini visited Fontainebleau at that time to choose a series of tapestries for cardinal Montaolto and he found this set particularly appealing and appropriate. One set of these tapestries, with the orginal cartoons, is mentioned in 1627 in the inventory drawn up on the death of Franois de la Planche. Two further panels were later added to extend the series to ten tapestries. The first border design by Dubreuil was probably only used on two sets, while the design of this border, more directly evoking the hunting theme, was much more popular. This latter border is related to that of the borders on the Gombaut et Macée series and can thus be attributed to Laurent Guyot, who is believed to be its author. The weaving of The History of Diana tapestry series to these cartoons only ceased in the mid-1630s when Simon Vouet introduced a new style of imagery to the weaver's ateliers of Paris.
It is probable that this tapestry belongs to one of the last sets woven, bearing the initial of Raphaël de la Planche in the lower right corner. His father, Franois de la Planche and Marc de Comans as well as Jérôme de Comans had formed an association to establish an atelier in Paris in 1601. Franois de la Planche and Marc de Comans finally received a Royal decree for the founding of their tapestry manufacture in the faubourg Saint-Marcel in 1607. Upon the death of the first in 1627 and the retirement of the second in 1628, their sons took over the workshop. This association only lasted until 1633 when Raphaël de la Planche moved his own atelier in the faubourg Saint-Germain. This tapestry is likely to have been woven in his new studio in the mid-1630s.
Dominique Séguier (1593-1659) whose coat-of-arms are at the top of this tapestry, was bishop of Auxerre and brother of Pierre Séguier, chancellor of France under kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV. It is interesting to note that the latter took up his post in 1635, during the time when this tapestry was probably woven. Three further tapestries of this set, bearing the same coat-of-arms, are known to exist. One depicting Diana and Apollo killing the Children of Niobe is at château de Chambord, while Diana Shooting an Arrow at Orion and Diana and Britomartis were at French & Co. (Chefs-d'oeuvre de la Tapisserie, exhibition catalogue, 1996, pp. 124-141, and M. Fenaille, Etat Général des Tapisseries de la Manufacture des Gobelins, Paris, 1923, vol. I, pp. 231-240).
A set of eight tapestries, the earliest surviving suite, is in the Spanish Royal Collection (P. Junquera de Vega and C. Diaz Gallegos, Catalogo de Tapices del Patrimonio Nacional, Madrid, 1986, vol. II, pp. 6014, series 43, this subject being panel 5), while the another set of six tapestries is at the Palace of Holyroodhouse (M. Swain, Tapestries and Textiles, 1988, pp. 50-55, cat. 14, this subject being panel C). A set of five tapestries from this series, including this subject, from the property of Archbold van Beuren, Gray Craig, Newport, were sold Christie's house sale, 23-24 July 1985, lot 227, and again anonymously at Christie's New York, 11 January 1994, lots 220-224, this lot being lot 220. Another tapestry of this subject from the property of the Savile Family, Rufford Abbey, Nottinghamshire, were sold in these Rooms, 17 November 1938, lot 75, and again from the collection of Major The Hon. John Fermor-Hesketh, in these Rooms, 8 June, 1961, lot 155, while another set of six tapestries from the series, including this subject and with the arms of the Pallavicini Family, from the property of The Pierpont Morgan Library, were sold in these Rooms, 6 July 1961, lot 53.