SOLD FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE JANE VORHEES ZIMMERLI MUSEUM OF ART ACQUISITIONS FUNDS

A FLEMISH MYTHOLOGICAL TAPESTRY FRAGMENT

BRUSSELS, SECOND HALF 16TH CENTURY

Details

A FLEMISH MYTHOLOGICAL TAPESTRY FRAGMENT
BRUSSELS, SECOND HALF 16TH CENTURY
WOVEN IN SILKS AND WOOLS, DEPICTING ORPHEUS AMONG THE ANIMALS, WITH ORPHEUS SEATED WITH HIS LYRE BEFORE HIM HELD BY A MONKEY, FLANKED BY A LEOPARD AND A UNICORN AND WITH FURTHER ANIMALS IN THE SURROUNDING FOREST, WITH A VISTA BEYOND, WITHIN A LATER GRAY OUTER GUARD BORDER, SOME AREAS OF REWEAVING
8 FT. 2 IN. (249 CM.) HIGH, 9 FT. 7 IN. (292 CM.) WIDE

Lot Essay

ALTHOUGH THERE ARE FEW RECORDS OF TAPESTRIES ILLUSTRATING THE LIFE OF ORPHEUS, THERE IS MENTION OF A SET THAT WAS BOUGHT BY MARGARET OF PARMA (D. 1586), DAUGHTER OF CHARLES V. SHE WAS THE GOVERNESS OF THE NETHERLANDS FROM 1559 TO 1567 AND PURCHASED A LARGE AMOUNT OF TAPESTRIES IN ANTWERP FOR THE MARRIAGE OF HER SON, ALEXANDER FARNESE, TO MARY OF PORTUGAL IN 1565. THE ORPHEUS TAPESTRIES WERE BOUGHT FROM ENRICO PIPELINGHE, DEALER IN SILK AND TEXTILES AND GRANDFATHER OF PETER PAUL RUBENS. (G. DELMARCEL, FLEMISH TAPESTRY, TIELT, 1999, P. 103)

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