EARLY 18TH CENTURY, AFTER AN ETCHING BY SALVATOR ROSA

Details

A SOHO MYTHOLOGICAL TAPESTRY
Early 18th Century, after an etching by Salvator Rosa
Woven in wools and silks, depicting The School of Socrates from The Story of Diogenes, in an extensive wooded landcape with a bridge crossing over a river and various buildings to the background, within a 'sandstone' border hung with floral swags headed by a cartouche with the inscription 'DIOGENES ADOLESCENTEM MANV BI-BENTEM INTVITVS SCYPHVM PROYCIT', folded over outer slip to each side and lacking outer slip to top and bottom, extensive reweaving to the ivory silks
8 ft. 11 in. (271 cm.) high; 15 ft. 3 in. (464 cm.) wide

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Lot Essay

This scene depicts Diogenes at the moment of realisation that he does not want for wordly possesions when he sees a boy lapping water from a stream: Diogenes discards his bowl.

The painting by Salvator Rosa of the same subject as this tapestry is in the Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, but it was almost certainly the engraving of that painting which formed the basis for the cartoons.

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