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Lot Essay
The border of this tapestry is identical to that on a Teniers tapestry that was recently on the art market. That tapestry was signed 'G. Werniers' and bore the Lille town mark. It is, however, very unusual for a Lille tapestry to depict a mythological subject which points to a special commission. Guillaume Werniers (d. 1738), originally from Brussels, had succeeded Jan de Melter (d. 1698) as the main weaver of Lille in 1701. His workshop executed a few special commissions such as portrait tapestries and scenes from the life of Christ, which were presented to the church St. Sauveur in Lille in 1735. The vast production of the workshop did, however concentrate on Teniers tapestries. Various sets with borders identical to this lot are illustrated in H.C. Marillier, Handbook of the Teniers Tapestries, London, 1932, plates 47, 51a, 55b and 56b. (D. Heinz, Europäische Tapisseriekunst des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts, Vienna, 1995, pp. 154 and 157)
A related Lille tapestry with identical borders and depicting a couple seated in a landscape was sold anonymously at Sotheby's New York, 23 September 1998, lot 222, while another tapestry with identical borders and depicting an unidentified mythological scene from Woolton House was sold at Sotheby's house sale, 7 December 1993, lot 68. A further closely related tapestry with nearly identical borders and depicting Acis and Galathea was sold anonymously at Poulain, Le Fur, Paris, 24 May 1996, lot 235.
Aurora, goddess of dawn, was the sister of Helios, the sun god. The morning dew was said to be the tears she shed for her son Memnon who was killed by Achilles in the Trojan War. Aurora fell in love with numerous mortal youths, Cephalus, who spurned her, being one of them. For him she even neglected to lead Helios through the heavens and threatened to bring chaos to the universe. Cupid resolved the situation by making Cephalus return her love. She was thus able to carry him off to heaven with her chariot drawn by two horses and with her flowers strewn on the ground. His two hunting dogs watched him being carried away.
A related Lille tapestry with identical borders and depicting a couple seated in a landscape was sold anonymously at Sotheby's New York, 23 September 1998, lot 222, while another tapestry with identical borders and depicting an unidentified mythological scene from Woolton House was sold at Sotheby's house sale, 7 December 1993, lot 68. A further closely related tapestry with nearly identical borders and depicting Acis and Galathea was sold anonymously at Poulain, Le Fur, Paris, 24 May 1996, lot 235.
Aurora, goddess of dawn, was the sister of Helios, the sun god. The morning dew was said to be the tears she shed for her son Memnon who was killed by Achilles in the Trojan War. Aurora fell in love with numerous mortal youths, Cephalus, who spurned her, being one of them. For him she even neglected to lead Helios through the heavens and threatened to bring chaos to the universe. Cupid resolved the situation by making Cephalus return her love. She was thus able to carry him off to heaven with her chariot drawn by two horses and with her flowers strewn on the ground. His two hunting dogs watched him being carried away.