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Lot Essay
This tapestry from the series the History of Julius Caesar depicts Caesar (circa 100-44 B.C) breaking into the treasury of Rome to take the gold necessary to wage the war against Pompey (106-48 B.C.). The tribune Metellus Pius Scipio (d. 46 B.C.), father-in-law of Pompey, tries to hold him back in vain.
This series was almost certainly designed by a follower of Bernard van Orley (c. 1488-1541) such as Pieter Coecke van Aelst (1502-1550) or Leonard Thiry (c.1500-c.1550). The first set, consisting of ten panels and woven with gold thread, appears to have been supplied to King Henry VIII (1491-1547) between 29 September 1543 and September of the following year, as a payment was made during that period to line the back of a set of 'Augusto Cesere' tapestries, and the set was therefore likely commissioned and designed between 1540 and 1542. The reason for the commission may have been the aspiration of Henry VIII to assert his and his 'Empire's' independence from the Papacy and to reinforce his absolute authority. Alas, this set could only be traced in the Royal collection until the 19th century and is now lost. A second set from the same cartoons was also supplied to Pope Julius III (1487-1555) between 1550 and 1555, but there only one panel depicting The Assasination of Caesar is known to have survived.
A second version of the designs of the early 1540's appear to have been drawn thereafter, probably based upon the modelli of the first set. It is not sure if the set supplied to King Erik XIV of Sweden (1533-1577) by van der Moyen in about 1560 already formed part of the first generation or if it is of the second, redesigned version, and the set cannot be traced beyond 1655. Aside from Erik's set, five other sets of the redesigned version woven in the third quarter of the 16th Century have been traced. One of these sets belonged to Alessandro Farnese (1545-1592), whose tapestries were displayed on the faade of the cathedral in Parma for the marriage of Elisabeth Farnese and Philippe IV of Spain (d. 1665) in 1714, of which an engraving exists, showing the complete set. (N. de Reyniès, et al. La Tapisserie au XVIIe Sièle et les Collections Européens, ex. cat., Paris, 1999, p. 162, fig. 12. Another group of tapestries illustrating the History of Caesar was woven in the 17th Century, showing a further design based on the cartoons of the first. One tapestry of this 17th Century depicting the Assasination of Pompey was sold anonymously at Christie's London, 2 April 1988, lot 215, while a set of four tapestries from that period by Marcus de Vos are at Powis Castle, Wales. (T. Campbell, 'New Light on a Set of History of Julius Caesar Tapestries in Henry VIII's Collection, Vol. V, No. 2, Summer 1998, pp. 2-39.)
The design of this tapestry is most closely related to the second generation tapestries, with slight differences in the drawing of the figures and manner in which space is filled in the background, suggesting that this tapestry may be based on yet a further design dating from that period.
This series was almost certainly designed by a follower of Bernard van Orley (c. 1488-1541) such as Pieter Coecke van Aelst (1502-1550) or Leonard Thiry (c.1500-c.1550). The first set, consisting of ten panels and woven with gold thread, appears to have been supplied to King Henry VIII (1491-1547) between 29 September 1543 and September of the following year, as a payment was made during that period to line the back of a set of 'Augusto Cesere' tapestries, and the set was therefore likely commissioned and designed between 1540 and 1542. The reason for the commission may have been the aspiration of Henry VIII to assert his and his 'Empire's' independence from the Papacy and to reinforce his absolute authority. Alas, this set could only be traced in the Royal collection until the 19th century and is now lost. A second set from the same cartoons was also supplied to Pope Julius III (1487-1555) between 1550 and 1555, but there only one panel depicting The Assasination of Caesar is known to have survived.
A second version of the designs of the early 1540's appear to have been drawn thereafter, probably based upon the modelli of the first set. It is not sure if the set supplied to King Erik XIV of Sweden (1533-1577) by van der Moyen in about 1560 already formed part of the first generation or if it is of the second, redesigned version, and the set cannot be traced beyond 1655. Aside from Erik's set, five other sets of the redesigned version woven in the third quarter of the 16th Century have been traced. One of these sets belonged to Alessandro Farnese (1545-1592), whose tapestries were displayed on the faade of the cathedral in Parma for the marriage of Elisabeth Farnese and Philippe IV of Spain (d. 1665) in 1714, of which an engraving exists, showing the complete set. (N. de Reyniès, et al. La Tapisserie au XVIIe Sièle et les Collections Européens, ex. cat., Paris, 1999, p. 162, fig. 12. Another group of tapestries illustrating the History of Caesar was woven in the 17th Century, showing a further design based on the cartoons of the first. One tapestry of this 17th Century depicting the Assasination of Pompey was sold anonymously at Christie's London, 2 April 1988, lot 215, while a set of four tapestries from that period by Marcus de Vos are at Powis Castle, Wales. (T. Campbell, 'New Light on a Set of History of Julius Caesar Tapestries in Henry VIII's Collection, Vol. V, No. 2, Summer 1998, pp. 2-39.)
The design of this tapestry is most closely related to the second generation tapestries, with slight differences in the drawing of the figures and manner in which space is filled in the background, suggesting that this tapestry may be based on yet a further design dating from that period.