BEAUVAIS, CIRCA 1700, BY PHILIPPE BEHAGLE OR NOËL ANTOINE DE MÉROU, AFTER ADRIEN CAMPION AND JOSEPH DE KERCHOVE

Details

A LOUIS XIV FRENCH 'PORTS DE MER' TAPESTRY
BEAUVAIS, CIRCA 1700, BY PHILIPPE BEHAGLE OR NOËL ANTOINE DE MÉROU, AFTER ADRIEN CAMPION AND JOSEPH DE KERCHOVE
Woven in silks wools, depicting various birds by a seascape and cityscape beyond, with large trees to the foreground, within a strap-work border with flowers and palmettes, the brown outer guard borders turned over, reduced in size, areas of reweaving and patching
10 ft. 7 in. (323 cm.) high, 10 ft. 10 in. (330 cm.) wide

Provenance

Anonymous sale, Christie's, Monaco, 18 June 1989, lot 152.
with Galerie Chevalier, Paris.

Lot Essay

This tapestry belongs to a series that was initially inspired by the rich Menagerie at Versailles. Unfortunately very little is known about the original commission of the series but it appears that one of the first sets were supplied to the Swedish Royal Collection through Carl Piper in 1695 (today at Björnstorp). A further set bearing the arms of Chevalier d'Allonne (d. 1707) is at château Merlemont. It is also interesting to note that the Garde Meuble only very rarely purchased tapestries from Beauvais, but this series featured among acquisitions made by Louis XIV for his château de Marly in 1696.

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