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Lot Essay
Hercules was ordered to serve the King of the Tiryns, Eurystheus, for twelve years by the Oracle of Delphi for having slain his own children in a fit of madness. The King demanded twelve labours from Hercules and his eighth was to tame the mares of Diomedes. The horses lived on human flesh and Hercules was able to overcome them with friends. In the ensuing battle King Diomedes was slain and fed to his own horses, which then became tame.
Other tapestries from this series are known, while none of the offered subject appear to be known complete. Seven tapestries of this series are in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, while only a fragmentary tapestry of the offered subject survives (I. de Meûter, M. Vanwelden et al., Tapisseries d'Audenarde, Tielt, 1999, cats. 24 - 26, pp. 161 - 166). The designer probably based this series on the Brussels set originally woven for Marie of Hungary by Jan van Ghietels in 1535 after designs by Bernard van Orley and which is today in the Spanish Royal Collection (P. Junquera de Vega and C. Herrero Carretero, Catalogo de Tapices del Patrimonio Nacional, Madrid, 1986, vol. I, series 23, pp. 155 - 162). The Viennese set is signed 'MVO', which has been identified to be the signature of Michiel van Orley, who had his weaver's workshop in Audenarde between 1539 and 1564 and who was also a merchant of tapestries. Interestingly Michiel appears to be the son of Bernard van Orley and may well have redesigned the series for a separate weaving at Audenarde. Michiel was not only active in Audenarde but seems to have commissioned tapestries to this design also in Enghien as other tapestries of this series with his signature and with the Enghien town mark also survive (G. Delmarcel, Tapisseries anciennes d'Enghien, exhibition catalogue, Mons, 1980, cat. 30, pp. 68 - 69).
(I. de Meûter, M. Vanwelden et al., Tapisseries d'Audenarde, Tielt, 1999, cats. 24 - 26, pp. 161 - 166; G. Delmarcel and I. van Tichelen, Mobiele fresco's van het Noorden, exhibition catalogue, Antwerp, 1994, pp. 53 - 60)
Other tapestries from this series are known, while none of the offered subject appear to be known complete. Seven tapestries of this series are in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, while only a fragmentary tapestry of the offered subject survives (I. de Meûter, M. Vanwelden et al., Tapisseries d'Audenarde, Tielt, 1999, cats. 24 - 26, pp. 161 - 166). The designer probably based this series on the Brussels set originally woven for Marie of Hungary by Jan van Ghietels in 1535 after designs by Bernard van Orley and which is today in the Spanish Royal Collection (P. Junquera de Vega and C. Herrero Carretero, Catalogo de Tapices del Patrimonio Nacional, Madrid, 1986, vol. I, series 23, pp. 155 - 162). The Viennese set is signed 'MVO', which has been identified to be the signature of Michiel van Orley, who had his weaver's workshop in Audenarde between 1539 and 1564 and who was also a merchant of tapestries. Interestingly Michiel appears to be the son of Bernard van Orley and may well have redesigned the series for a separate weaving at Audenarde. Michiel was not only active in Audenarde but seems to have commissioned tapestries to this design also in Enghien as other tapestries of this series with his signature and with the Enghien town mark also survive (G. Delmarcel, Tapisseries anciennes d'Enghien, exhibition catalogue, Mons, 1980, cat. 30, pp. 68 - 69).
(I. de Meûter, M. Vanwelden et al., Tapisseries d'Audenarde, Tielt, 1999, cats. 24 - 26, pp. 161 - 166; G. Delmarcel and I. van Tichelen, Mobiele fresco's van het Noorden, exhibition catalogue, Antwerp, 1994, pp. 53 - 60)