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AN AUBUSSON MYTHOLOGICAL TAPESTRY DEPICTING MENELAUS FINDING HELEN WITH TROY BURNING IN THE BACKGROUND

AFTER A DESIGN BY ISAAC MOILLON (1614-1673)

Details

AN AUBUSSON MYTHOLOGICAL TAPESTRY DEPICTING MENELAUS FINDING HELEN WITH TROY BURNING IN THE BACKGROUND
AFTER A DESIGN BY ISAAC MOILLON (1614-1673)
Woven in wools and silks, within an armorila trophy border with later plain outer slip
334 cm. x 304 cm.

Special notice

Christie’s charges a premium to the buyer on the Hammer Price of each lot sold at the following rates: 29.75% of the Hammer Price of each lot up to and including €5,000, plus 23.8% of the Hammer Price between €5,001 and €400,000, plus 14.28% of any amount in excess of €400,001. Buyer’s premium is calculated on the basis of each lot individually.

Lot Essay

For the design of this tapestry Moillon did not follow Euripide's text in which Menelaus shows no mercy for helen but rather the text of Quintus of Smyrna in which Ulysses prevents Menelaus from killin Helen. Moillon depicted Menlaus holding Helen's hand whilst Ulysses is shown holding Helen in protection from Menelaus' wrath. Another tapestry after the same cartoon with the same dimensions but with a different border is in the Musee de la Tapisserie, Aubusson.

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