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Lot Essay
This very finely woven tapestry was produced in the workshop of Guillaume Werniers (d. 1738), originally from Brussels, who succeeded Jan de Melter (d. 1698) as the main weaver of Lille. His tapestries rival in quality those of Brussels and the popularity of his works enabled him to enlarge his workshop to 21 looms despite the difficult economic situation. The most prolific period of the workshop was in the first decades of his ownership and the majority of his work was supplied to la première noblesse de France. Although he executed some special commissions such as portrait tapestries, a series depicting the life of Christ for the church of St. Saveur in Lille in 1735 and some rare mythological scenes such as that of lot 192 in this sale, the vast majority of his works were based on the Teniers pastoral subjects. The main group of Teniers tapestries comprised a total of eight panels, although he wove various sets to different designs (D. Heinz, Europäische Tapisseriekunst des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts, Vienna, 1995, pp. 239 and 242).
This particular tapestry is identical to one in the Quirinale in Rome, which forms part of a set of five tapestries depicting The Card Players, A Pastoral Scene, The Country Dance, The Spinner and of course The Harvest (N. Forti Grazzini, Il Patrimonio Artistico de Quirinale, Gli Arazzi, Rome, 1994, vol. II, pp. 356 - 370). That set had been purchased by the Duke Filippo Borbone of Parma (d. 1765) in Paris for 5,500 lire in 1760, several decades after the death of the weaver. It originally consisted of seven panels, two of which are now lost.
The designs to which this tapestry as well as the set in the Quirinale belong was probably woven seven or eight times with varying borders. The borders of this tapestry were the ones most frequently used for these designs and were probably created for them. The designs of the subjects vary from the typical Brussels Teniers versions by being more insular and of a more monumental nature seemingly drawn by a classical Poussin follower. It is probable that the cartoonist of this set was from Lille and adapted the Teniers ideas to the specific clientele of Werniers. Forti Grazzini only records one other version of The Harvest besides the Quirinale version in a sale at the American Arts Association, New York, 11 April 1931 lot 926 which sold again at Sotheby's New York, 31 May 1990, lot 265. That panel is narrow and only includes the right side of the field and has frame borders. This lot is thus previously unrecorded.
A panel depicting The Country Dance with identical borders was sold from the collection of R. Olaf Hambro, Esq [+] in these Rooms, 2 October 1961, lot 156, while two panels depicting The Pin Bowlers and The Country Dance with identical borders were sold anonymously in these Rooms, 20 March 1969, lot 150. Another panel with identical borders depicting A Pastoral Scene was sold from the collection of Col. Sir Philip Brocklehurst, Bt. [+] in these Rooms, 8 April 1976, lot 113, while two panels depicting The Pin Bowlers and The Card Game were sold anonymously at Ader Picard Tajan, 15 June 1979, lots 149 a and b.
This particular tapestry is identical to one in the Quirinale in Rome, which forms part of a set of five tapestries depicting The Card Players, A Pastoral Scene, The Country Dance, The Spinner and of course The Harvest (N. Forti Grazzini, Il Patrimonio Artistico de Quirinale, Gli Arazzi, Rome, 1994, vol. II, pp. 356 - 370). That set had been purchased by the Duke Filippo Borbone of Parma (d. 1765) in Paris for 5,500 lire in 1760, several decades after the death of the weaver. It originally consisted of seven panels, two of which are now lost.
The designs to which this tapestry as well as the set in the Quirinale belong was probably woven seven or eight times with varying borders. The borders of this tapestry were the ones most frequently used for these designs and were probably created for them. The designs of the subjects vary from the typical Brussels Teniers versions by being more insular and of a more monumental nature seemingly drawn by a classical Poussin follower. It is probable that the cartoonist of this set was from Lille and adapted the Teniers ideas to the specific clientele of Werniers. Forti Grazzini only records one other version of The Harvest besides the Quirinale version in a sale at the American Arts Association, New York, 11 April 1931 lot 926 which sold again at Sotheby's New York, 31 May 1990, lot 265. That panel is narrow and only includes the right side of the field and has frame borders. This lot is thus previously unrecorded.
A panel depicting The Country Dance with identical borders was sold from the collection of R. Olaf Hambro, Esq [+] in these Rooms, 2 October 1961, lot 156, while two panels depicting The Pin Bowlers and The Country Dance with identical borders were sold anonymously in these Rooms, 20 March 1969, lot 150. Another panel with identical borders depicting A Pastoral Scene was sold from the collection of Col. Sir Philip Brocklehurst, Bt. [+] in these Rooms, 8 April 1976, lot 113, while two panels depicting The Pin Bowlers and The Card Game were sold anonymously at Ader Picard Tajan, 15 June 1979, lots 149 a and b.