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Lot Essay
Teniers tapestries were woven in Lille from the very late 17th Century, when Jan de Melter (d. 1698), who established his workshop in 1688, is recorded as having delivered a set to Michel le Pelletier. It was, however, with the arrival of his son-in-law Guillaume Werniers (d. 1738), who married de Melter's daughter in 1700, that Lille started to weave the subject in finer quality and with a greater number of variants.
This subject appears in two main versions, this grouping, and the second with various men sitting around a table and playing cards. The second version appears to be only signed by the widow of Guillaume Werniers, while the first is signed by him. A tapestry of this design was sold in Paris on 31 March 1930 (H.C. Marillier, Handbook to the Teniers Tapestries, London, 1932, plate 55a).
Another tapestry with the same scene was sold in Christie's King Street on the 1st of October 1998, sale 6022, lot 226.
This subject appears in two main versions, this grouping, and the second with various men sitting around a table and playing cards. The second version appears to be only signed by the widow of Guillaume Werniers, while the first is signed by him. A tapestry of this design was sold in Paris on 31 March 1930 (H.C. Marillier, Handbook to the Teniers Tapestries, London, 1932, plate 55a).
Another tapestry with the same scene was sold in Christie's King Street on the 1st of October 1998, sale 6022, lot 226.