A FRANCO-FLEMISH BIBLICAL TAPESTRY

FIRST HALF 16TH CENTURY

Details

A FRANCO-FLEMISH BIBLICAL TAPESTRY
First half 16th Century
Woven in wools and silks, from The Story of Susanna, depicting Daniel seated on a lambrequined throne and before him two elders wearing turbans with their hands tied behind their backs, with various soldiers and courtiers flanking the scene, set within an architectural interior with flanking columns to each side and a vista into an open landscape through the windows and doors, the tiled floor inscribed with 'R' and 'II', and the sleeve of the cloak worn by the soldier in the foreground inscribed 'RN I LIAFI', within a later blue outer slip, reduced from a larger tapestry, reweaving and patching
8 ft. 11 in. x 6 ft. 7½ in. (272 cm. x 202 cm.)

Provenance

Anonymous sale, Sotheby's London, 19 November 1971, lot 36 (£ 4,700), [Then still joined with a scene depicting Susanna being taken to court and both scenes with inscribed tablets].

Lot Essay

This tapestry depicts the last scene from a series illustrating The Story of Susanna. The story is set in Babylon. Susanna was desired by two elders of the community. She bathed daily in her garden and one day the two elders waited until her maid had left her and then sprang out on the unsuspecting Susanna. They demanded from her that she give herself to them or they would swear before court that she was seen by them in the act of adultery with a young man. She defied the threat and cried out for help. The men carried out their threat and she was condemned to death. At the last moment, Daniel appeared and cross-examined the two men, elicited conflicting evidence and was thus able to prove her innocence. This scene shows the elders being taken away.

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