EARY 18TH CENTURY

Details

A BRUSSELS MYTHOLOGICAL TAPESTRY
Eary 18th century
Woven in wools and silks, depicting Hercules shooting an arrow at one of the Stymphalian birds, accompanied by two ladies in a lush landscape with a river and a mountainous landscape with village beyond, within a border of oak leaves egg and dart and acanthus the sides with crossed quivers and flaming torches, the ends with laurel garlands, minor areas of reweaving
11 ft. (336 cm.) x 8 ft. 6 in. (259 cm.)

Special notice

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Lot Essay

This tapestry depicts Hercules shooting an arrow at a Stymphalian bird. Hercules, completing his twelve labours, came to Lake Stymphalus in Arcadia that was inhabited by birds with brazen wings, beaks and claws while their feathers were poisoned arrows. He scared them into the air with a rattle and then shot them with his arrows.

A related tapestry with identical borders and hence possibly from the same series was offered anonymously at Ader Picard Tajan, Paris, 12 March 1986, lot 116.

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