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拍品专文
This tapestry originally formed part of a set of seven panels illustrating The Story of Hero and Leander. Leander, a youth from Abydos, a town on the Asian shore of the Hellespont, used to swim across the waters at night to Sestos on the opposite side to meet his lover Hero, a priestess of Aphrodite. To guide him in darkness, she held up a torch. On a stormy night he drowned and she, in despair, threw herself into the sea.
Francis Cleyn (1582-1658) supplied the designs for the series to the Mortlake manufactory as his first works in the late 1630s and early 1640s. The designs are strongly influenced by the Italian school, where the German-born artist had trained prior to working at the Danish court. He was called to London by Charles I in 1624, where he remained until his death. The designs for Hero and Leander continued to be used throughout the 17th century by Mortlake and were afterwards reproduced by the private workshops in Soho and Lambeth.
A set of five panels woven with gold and silver-thread are in the Royal Swedish Collection (J. Böttiger, Svenska Statens Sammling af Vävda Tapeter, Stockholm, 1896), while three tapestries from this series were sold by The Lord Henley; Christie's, London, 13 July 1967, lot 140. A set consisting of four panels bearing the arms of Finch, Earls of Winchilsea and Nottingham, was sold, Christie's, London, 12 June 1947, lot 170, and a further set hangs on the main staircase at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire (M. Girouard, Hardwick Hall, 1989, p. 52).
Francis Cleyn (1582-1658) supplied the designs for the series to the Mortlake manufactory as his first works in the late 1630s and early 1640s. The designs are strongly influenced by the Italian school, where the German-born artist had trained prior to working at the Danish court. He was called to London by Charles I in 1624, where he remained until his death. The designs for Hero and Leander continued to be used throughout the 17th century by Mortlake and were afterwards reproduced by the private workshops in Soho and Lambeth.
A set of five panels woven with gold and silver-thread are in the Royal Swedish Collection (J. Böttiger, Svenska Statens Sammling af Vävda Tapeter, Stockholm, 1896), while three tapestries from this series were sold by The Lord Henley; Christie's, London, 13 July 1967, lot 140. A set consisting of four panels bearing the arms of Finch, Earls of Winchilsea and Nottingham, was sold, Christie's, London, 12 June 1947, lot 170, and a further set hangs on the main staircase at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire (M. Girouard, Hardwick Hall, 1989, p. 52).