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Lot Essay
Literature:
M. Fenaille, Etat Général des Tapisseries de la Manufacture des Gobelins, 1699 - 1736, Paris, 1904, pp. 44 - 45.
The Commission
Gobelins records indicate that the offered Ceres (lot 99) was commenced in December of 1761 and completed on 28 April 1763, while Diana was commenced in July 1760 and completed in July 1762. They, along with one tapestry of each subject from the series woven by Neilson plus three Gobelins tapestries of the Nouvelles Indes series, were supplied to John Stewart [sic] on 1 February 1764. The eight Portières des Dieux tapestries were sold to him for 8,842 livres and he is recorded as having paid all the tapestries on 4 November 1763. Contemporary to that purchase, the Duke of Richmond also acquired four panels of the Portières des Dieux tapestries plus one panel of the Don Quixote series, while Lord Tynley also purchased a set of the Nouvelles Indes series from Neilson.
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, succeeded in 1721, then only eight, and inherited Mount Stuart. He and his wife Mary Wortley Montagu left Scotland and Mount Stuart for London in 1746, never to return. He continued, however, to work on his family home. Bute was appointed Lord of the Bedchamber to Frederick, Prince of Wales, and upon the latter's death became the mentor and later Groom of the Stole to his eldest son George, Prince of Wales. Upon George II's death in 1760 Bute became in effect Prime Minister and in the following year inherited both a political power base in Scotland from his uncle the 3rd Duke of Argyll, and a substantial fortune from his father-in-law. It was these revenues that enabled him to pursue his collecting habit with even greater fervour. His increasing unpopularity led him to sell Adam's Bute House in Berkeley Square to Lord Shelburne, later Lansdowne. His building ambitions were transferred to Luton Park in Bedfordshire, which had been purchased in 1763. Adam planned the reworking of Luton most exigently. It is probable that these tapestries were indeed purchased for the rebuilding of Luton Hoo and may have hung there until the house was sold in 1843.
Designers
The design for Les Portières des Dieux, first known as Nouvelles Portières des Rabesques des Dieux and comprising four panels of the Seasons, consisting of Venus as Spring, Ceres as Summer, Bacchus as Autumn and Saturn as Winter, and four panels of the Elements, consisting of Juno as Air, Diana as Earth, Neptune as Water and Jupiter as Fire, were ordered by Mansart from Claude Audran Le Jeune (1639 - 1684) in 1699. The figures of the various goddesses, gods and children were designed by Louis de Boulogne (1654 - 1733) and Corneille (d.1708) while the animals are probably after Alexandre-François Desportes (1661-1743). Payments to the four for this commission are recorded until August 1703, when the paintings appear to have been completed. Several cartoons were delivered for each subject for both the high and the low looms. Three different border designs were prepared for the set, the one for the offered lot known as the third version was used exclusively at the low looms from 1740. It is believed that the designer for this third border was Pierre-Fosse Perrot.
Claude Audran, teacher of Watteau, was at that time also employed to decorate the chambers of the duc d'Orléans at Meudon, painting the Menagerie and the chamber of the princesse de Conti at Versailles. It is interesting to note that Audran did not appear in the Royal accounts until 1699 but at that point was charged with numerous considerable commissions. Desportes, a longtime friend of Audran, was also hired for the same commissions and specialised in animal painting.
The low loom cartoon for Earth was so worn by its sixth weaving in 1749, that it could no longer be used. The subject was therefore not woven for ten years at the low looms until 1758, when M. Soufflot redesigned the figure of Diane and turned her to face left had her hold a dog on a leash.
Weavings
The first tapestries of this series were completed in January 1701 in the atelier of Dominique De La Croix. The series proved to be one of the most enduring of all the Gobelins designs and was woven throughout the 18th Century with a variety of background colours and some including gold and silver thread.
M. Fenaille, Etat Général des Tapisseries de la Manufacture des Gobelins, 1699 - 1736, Paris, 1904, pp. 44 - 45.
The Commission
Gobelins records indicate that the offered Ceres (lot 99) was commenced in December of 1761 and completed on 28 April 1763, while Diana was commenced in July 1760 and completed in July 1762. They, along with one tapestry of each subject from the series woven by Neilson plus three Gobelins tapestries of the Nouvelles Indes series, were supplied to John Stewart [sic] on 1 February 1764. The eight Portières des Dieux tapestries were sold to him for 8,842 livres and he is recorded as having paid all the tapestries on 4 November 1763. Contemporary to that purchase, the Duke of Richmond also acquired four panels of the Portières des Dieux tapestries plus one panel of the Don Quixote series, while Lord Tynley also purchased a set of the Nouvelles Indes series from Neilson.
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, succeeded in 1721, then only eight, and inherited Mount Stuart. He and his wife Mary Wortley Montagu left Scotland and Mount Stuart for London in 1746, never to return. He continued, however, to work on his family home. Bute was appointed Lord of the Bedchamber to Frederick, Prince of Wales, and upon the latter's death became the mentor and later Groom of the Stole to his eldest son George, Prince of Wales. Upon George II's death in 1760 Bute became in effect Prime Minister and in the following year inherited both a political power base in Scotland from his uncle the 3rd Duke of Argyll, and a substantial fortune from his father-in-law. It was these revenues that enabled him to pursue his collecting habit with even greater fervour. His increasing unpopularity led him to sell Adam's Bute House in Berkeley Square to Lord Shelburne, later Lansdowne. His building ambitions were transferred to Luton Park in Bedfordshire, which had been purchased in 1763. Adam planned the reworking of Luton most exigently. It is probable that these tapestries were indeed purchased for the rebuilding of Luton Hoo and may have hung there until the house was sold in 1843.
Designers
The design for Les Portières des Dieux, first known as Nouvelles Portières des Rabesques des Dieux and comprising four panels of the Seasons, consisting of Venus as Spring, Ceres as Summer, Bacchus as Autumn and Saturn as Winter, and four panels of the Elements, consisting of Juno as Air, Diana as Earth, Neptune as Water and Jupiter as Fire, were ordered by Mansart from Claude Audran Le Jeune (1639 - 1684) in 1699. The figures of the various goddesses, gods and children were designed by Louis de Boulogne (1654 - 1733) and Corneille (d.1708) while the animals are probably after Alexandre-François Desportes (1661-1743). Payments to the four for this commission are recorded until August 1703, when the paintings appear to have been completed. Several cartoons were delivered for each subject for both the high and the low looms. Three different border designs were prepared for the set, the one for the offered lot known as the third version was used exclusively at the low looms from 1740. It is believed that the designer for this third border was Pierre-Fosse Perrot.
Claude Audran, teacher of Watteau, was at that time also employed to decorate the chambers of the duc d'Orléans at Meudon, painting the Menagerie and the chamber of the princesse de Conti at Versailles. It is interesting to note that Audran did not appear in the Royal accounts until 1699 but at that point was charged with numerous considerable commissions. Desportes, a longtime friend of Audran, was also hired for the same commissions and specialised in animal painting.
The low loom cartoon for Earth was so worn by its sixth weaving in 1749, that it could no longer be used. The subject was therefore not woven for ten years at the low looms until 1758, when M. Soufflot redesigned the figure of Diane and turned her to face left had her hold a dog on a leash.
Weavings
The first tapestries of this series were completed in January 1701 in the atelier of Dominique De La Croix. The series proved to be one of the most enduring of all the Gobelins designs and was woven throughout the 18th Century with a variety of background colours and some including gold and silver thread.