Lot Essay
A closely related set, depicting the History of Cyrus, is in the Spanish Royal Collection in the Palacio de Aranjuez (Catalogo de Tapices del Patrimonio Nacional, Madrid, 1986, Volume 1: siglo XVI, series 39, pp.279-289). Woven by Jan van Tiger and Nicholas Leyniers circa 1550 the cartoons for this series had previously been attributed to Hans van der Straet (Stradamus) (1523-1605) and Michel Coxcie. In the catalogue of the Spanish Royal Collection, however, the series is convincingly attributed to Marten van Heemskerck, a Flemish painter of the Roman School (1498-1574). Comprising a set of ten, the Spanish Royal Collection tapestries depict identical scenes to the three other Clanwilliam tapestries - that illustrating 'Cyrus appointing the conquered Astyages ruler of Hyrcania' also being woven by van Tiger, while those illustrating the 'beheaded Cyrus' and 'Cyrus dispatching the Israelites to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem' woven by Nicholas Leyniers.
The present scene from the Clanwilliam series, however, does not appear in the Spanish series.
Further tapestries from the History of Cyrus are in the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, and the Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio, as well as a set of five from the Villa Imperiale, Rome, subsequently in the collection of Lionel Harris. A single panel from the series of the same subject, woven by William Segers, was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 3 April 1924, lot 180.
Tomyris, the widowed queen of the Massagatae, having refused Cyrus' spurious proposal of marriage, finds him building bridges over the Araxes and constructing turreted boats in preparation for war. She sends a message of warning but suggests that if war were to be waged either he should cross into her territory or she into his. Cyrus seeks the advice of the principal Persians who unanimously propose fighting on home ground; but Croesus the Lydian suggests a trap - crossing and sacrificing the weakest part of the army and preparing a feast so lavish that the victorious Massagatae eat and are overcome with sleep. Cyrus adopts this plan. This panel depicts the massacre after the feast. Spargapises, the queen's son, is among those captured. She sends an ultimatum to Cyrus to restore her son; Spargapises also begs to be freed but when released kills himself (Herodotus, Book I)
The present scene from the Clanwilliam series, however, does not appear in the Spanish series.
Further tapestries from the History of Cyrus are in the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, and the Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio, as well as a set of five from the Villa Imperiale, Rome, subsequently in the collection of Lionel Harris. A single panel from the series of the same subject, woven by William Segers, was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 3 April 1924, lot 180.
Tomyris, the widowed queen of the Massagatae, having refused Cyrus' spurious proposal of marriage, finds him building bridges over the Araxes and constructing turreted boats in preparation for war. She sends a message of warning but suggests that if war were to be waged either he should cross into her territory or she into his. Cyrus seeks the advice of the principal Persians who unanimously propose fighting on home ground; but Croesus the Lydian suggests a trap - crossing and sacrificing the weakest part of the army and preparing a feast so lavish that the victorious Massagatae eat and are overcome with sleep. Cyrus adopts this plan. This panel depicts the massacre after the feast. Spargapises, the queen's son, is among those captured. She sends an ultimatum to Cyrus to restore her son; Spargapises also begs to be freed but when released kills himself (Herodotus, Book I)