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Lot Essay
SUBJECT: Taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses, this tapestry depicts Acis and Galatea. Galatea, a Nereid or sea-nymph from Sicily, loved the handsome youth Acis but in turn was passionately loved by the one-eyed Cyclope Polyphemus whom she rejected. Polyphemus sat on an outcrop overlooking the sea and played a love song. Later, wandering among the rocks, he found Galatea in the arms of Acis. They fled but Polyphemus in rage flung a great boulder that crushed Acis. Acis was then changed by Galatea into the river Acis which flows near Mount Aetna.
ATTRIBUTION AND WEAVER:
Although the borders of this tapestry are very similar to Beauvais examples, the attribution to the Wernier workshop can be made because of a tapestry depicting Christ overturning the Tables of the Moneylenders that has nearly identical borders and that bears the signature 'G. WERNIERS.LILLE' followed by 'EN FLANDRE 1737' (sold anonymously, Sotheby's New York, 9 January 1990, lot 344.
Guillaume Werniers (d. 1738), originally from Brussels, is recorded in Lille from 1700 when he married the daughter of Jan de Melter. His atelier enjoyed considerable success and counted over 21 looms in the 1730s. His tapestries rival in quality those of Brussels and the majority of his work was supplied to la premihre noblesse de France. After his death his wife carried on the workshop until her death in 1778, continuing often with the same designs. The workshop was specialized in Teniers scenes and only rarely wove mythological tapestries such as this one and one depicting Aurora and Cephalus that was sold anonymously at Christie's London, 11 May 2000, lot 191. Another depiction of this scene was sold anonymously at Poulain, Le Fur, Paris, 24 May 1996, lot 235.
DESIGN:
The design of this tapestry is based on a painting by Antoine Coypel (d. 1722) of 1695 that was engraved by Charles Simmonneau (d. 1728) and dedicated: A Son Altesse Royale Monseigneur Philippe d'Orleans, Duc de Chartres. Inventi, peint et gravi ' l'eau forte par A. Coypel C.P.R. et termini au burin par Ch. Simmonneau l'aini 1695 (N. Garnier, Antoine Coypel, Paris, 1989, cats. 52 and 160, fig. 86.
ATTRIBUTION AND WEAVER:
Although the borders of this tapestry are very similar to Beauvais examples, the attribution to the Wernier workshop can be made because of a tapestry depicting Christ overturning the Tables of the Moneylenders that has nearly identical borders and that bears the signature 'G. WERNIERS.LILLE' followed by 'EN FLANDRE 1737' (sold anonymously, Sotheby's New York, 9 January 1990, lot 344.
Guillaume Werniers (d. 1738), originally from Brussels, is recorded in Lille from 1700 when he married the daughter of Jan de Melter. His atelier enjoyed considerable success and counted over 21 looms in the 1730s. His tapestries rival in quality those of Brussels and the majority of his work was supplied to la premihre noblesse de France. After his death his wife carried on the workshop until her death in 1778, continuing often with the same designs. The workshop was specialized in Teniers scenes and only rarely wove mythological tapestries such as this one and one depicting Aurora and Cephalus that was sold anonymously at Christie's London, 11 May 2000, lot 191. Another depiction of this scene was sold anonymously at Poulain, Le Fur, Paris, 24 May 1996, lot 235.
DESIGN:
The design of this tapestry is based on a painting by Antoine Coypel (d. 1722) of 1695 that was engraved by Charles Simmonneau (d. 1728) and dedicated: A Son Altesse Royale Monseigneur Philippe d'Orleans, Duc de Chartres. Inventi, peint et gravi ' l'eau forte par A. Coypel C.P.R. et termini au burin par Ch. Simmonneau l'aini 1695 (N. Garnier, Antoine Coypel, Paris, 1989, cats. 52 and 160, fig. 86.