Lot Essay
Lille produced numerous versions of Teniers' subjects. The first recorded series was woven under Jan de Melter (d. 1698), who established his workshop in 1688, for a local client Michel de Pelletier. With the arrival of Guillaume Werniers (d. 1738), who in 1700 married Melter's daughter, Lille's Teniers tapestry production reached its climax. Although the subjects were also woven under the supervision of his second wife, Katherine Ghuys, the best executed versions, such as this example, belong to the earlier works.
A tapestry attributed both by H. Göbel and H.C. Marillier to Oudenarde, then in the Provinzialmuseum, Hanover (H. Göbel, Tapestries of the Lowlands, New York, 1924, illus. and H.C. Marillier, Handbook of the Teniers Tapestries, London, 1932, p. 75, plate 48b) has identical figure groups. The extensive park landscape in the background of this example does however indicate Lille as the probable place of manufacture. A related tapestry with similar park landscape in the background, flanked by a fountain, was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 24 July 1958, lot 144.
The fountain to the right of the figure group is surmounted by a copy of Giambologna's monumental marble group of the Rape of the Sabines, unveiled in the Loggia de Lanzi on 14 January 1581.
A tapestry attributed both by H. Göbel and H.C. Marillier to Oudenarde, then in the Provinzialmuseum, Hanover (H. Göbel, Tapestries of the Lowlands, New York, 1924, illus. and H.C. Marillier, Handbook of the Teniers Tapestries, London, 1932, p. 75, plate 48b) has identical figure groups. The extensive park landscape in the background of this example does however indicate Lille as the probable place of manufacture. A related tapestry with similar park landscape in the background, flanked by a fountain, was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 24 July 1958, lot 144.
The fountain to the right of the figure group is surmounted by a copy of Giambologna's monumental marble group of the Rape of the Sabines, unveiled in the Loggia de Lanzi on 14 January 1581.