Lot Essay
SERIES AND SUBJECT
This tapestry belongs to a series of eight panels depicting the Judaic Wars (66-70 AD) during the reigns of Vespasian (69-70 AD) and his son Titus (79-81 AD).
Although no drawings or engravings for the series survive, it is believed that the prolific Charles Poerson (d. 1667) was its author on the basis of comparison to other tapestry designs by him (The Story of Moses and The Story of Cleopatra). It is believed that he painted the modelli for the series in the early 1660s as there is mention of a set of this name in Brussels in 1663. It appears to have been commissioned by a group of weavers through the agency of Charles de la Fontaine, an art dealer.
WEAVERS AND COMPARABLE EXAMPLES
Four tapestry workshops are recorded having woven the series: That of William Leefdael (active until 1685), Gerard Peemans (active until 1707), Geraert van der Streken (d. 1677) and either Jean (d. 1676) or Jerome (d. 1719) Le Clerc. It is interesting to note that there are also four differing borders available, although it does not appear to be possible to assign specific borders singularly to one weaver.
K. Brosens, European Tapestries in the Art Institute of Chicago, New Haven, 2008, pp. 174-177.
A tapestry of identical design but with differing borders and not as wide as the offered example, signed by Geraert Peemans was sold from the Collection of the Margraves and Grand Dukes of Baden, Schloss Karlsruhe, Sotheby's, House Sale, 5-21 October 1995, lot 1001, and again anonymously, Christie's, New York, 30-31 October 1996, lot 327.
This tapestry belongs to a series of eight panels depicting the Judaic Wars (66-70 AD) during the reigns of Vespasian (69-70 AD) and his son Titus (79-81 AD).
Although no drawings or engravings for the series survive, it is believed that the prolific Charles Poerson (d. 1667) was its author on the basis of comparison to other tapestry designs by him (The Story of Moses and The Story of Cleopatra). It is believed that he painted the modelli for the series in the early 1660s as there is mention of a set of this name in Brussels in 1663. It appears to have been commissioned by a group of weavers through the agency of Charles de la Fontaine, an art dealer.
WEAVERS AND COMPARABLE EXAMPLES
Four tapestry workshops are recorded having woven the series: That of William Leefdael (active until 1685), Gerard Peemans (active until 1707), Geraert van der Streken (d. 1677) and either Jean (d. 1676) or Jerome (d. 1719) Le Clerc. It is interesting to note that there are also four differing borders available, although it does not appear to be possible to assign specific borders singularly to one weaver.
K. Brosens, European Tapestries in the Art Institute of Chicago, New Haven, 2008, pp. 174-177.
A tapestry of identical design but with differing borders and not as wide as the offered example, signed by Geraert Peemans was sold from the Collection of the Margraves and Grand Dukes of Baden, Schloss Karlsruhe, Sotheby's, House Sale, 5-21 October 1995, lot 1001, and again anonymously, Christie's, New York, 30-31 October 1996, lot 327.