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Lot Essay
SUBJECT
This tapestry forms part of a series depicting the Story of Ceres, goddes of agriculture and earth. According to myth Proseprina, Ceres' daughter, was abducted by Pluto, god of the underworld. Ceres searched everywhere for her and caused the earth to remain barren until Proserpina was returned to her. Pluto finally allowed Proserpina to return to earth for four months of the year, during which time the earth blossomed again (J. Hall, Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art, New York, 1974, pp. 62 - 63).
COMPARABLE TAPESTRIES
A set of eight tapestries from this series, most of which were signed by Marcus de Vos, were sold from the collection of the duc de Talleyrand-Perigord, at Drouot, Paris, 10 June 1896. Marcus de Vos was active from the second quarter of the 17th century and became the dean of the tapestry-maker's craft in 1663 and 1665. Another panel depicting Proserpina picking a pomegranate by de Vos was sold anonymously at Christie's New York, 24-25 September 1997, lot 372, while a larger panel by Jan Frans van den Hecke, including the identical scene to this lot, was offered anonymously at Sotheby's Monaco, 24 - 25 June 1984, lot 3244. Jan Frans was the dean of the craft in Brussels in 1662 and was active until after 1700.
This tapestry forms part of a series depicting the Story of Ceres, goddes of agriculture and earth. According to myth Proseprina, Ceres' daughter, was abducted by Pluto, god of the underworld. Ceres searched everywhere for her and caused the earth to remain barren until Proserpina was returned to her. Pluto finally allowed Proserpina to return to earth for four months of the year, during which time the earth blossomed again (J. Hall, Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art, New York, 1974, pp. 62 - 63).
COMPARABLE TAPESTRIES
A set of eight tapestries from this series, most of which were signed by Marcus de Vos, were sold from the collection of the duc de Talleyrand-Perigord, at Drouot, Paris, 10 June 1896. Marcus de Vos was active from the second quarter of the 17th century and became the dean of the tapestry-maker's craft in 1663 and 1665. Another panel depicting Proserpina picking a pomegranate by de Vos was sold anonymously at Christie's New York, 24-25 September 1997, lot 372, while a larger panel by Jan Frans van den Hecke, including the identical scene to this lot, was offered anonymously at Sotheby's Monaco, 24 - 25 June 1984, lot 3244. Jan Frans was the dean of the craft in Brussels in 1662 and was active until after 1700.