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Lot Essay
This rich tapestry, depicting a decadent bacchanalian, scene can be confidently attributed to the Huguenot master weaver, John Vanderbank (d. 1717) who was chief Arras Worker at the Great Wardrobe from 1689.
The tapestry belongs to a group generally known as the ‘Naked Boys’ series whose subject derives from Italian ‘Puttini’ tapestries of the 1540s. The original ‘Puttini’ tapestries are a Renaissance re-invention of the ancient lost painting described in the III century AD by the Greek sophist Philostratus in the Eikones (Imagines), showing Venus and the putti playing, fighting, fishing and picking fruit. The text, translated into Latin by Celio Calcagnini in 1510, had already been used as a literary base by Raphael for drawings of putti playing. An intriguing Renaissance source that can be linked directly to this series is a pen and ink drawing in the collection of the Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth by Giulio Romano (1492-1546), one of Raphael's most accomplished students, showing putti playing and climbing trees. Giulio Pippi, known as Giulio Romano, was one of the most renowned Italian artists of the first half of the XVI century, who also worked with Raphael on the drawings and cartoons of the Acts of the Apostles and subsequently drew the Triumph of Scipio, the Stories of Hercules, as well as the cartoons for the series of the Giochi di putti [the Playing Puttini], of which one spectacular example was offered at Christie’s, London, 7 July 2011, lot 40. Strong parallels can also be drawn with Romano's wild Mannerist frescos at the Palazzo del Te, Mantua.
A Franco-Flemish version of this tapestry of circa 1660-75, part of a series of ‘Naked Boys’ tapestries from the collection of Ralph, 1st Duke of Montagu, was almost certainly the prototype from which this and other comparable tapestries attributed to Vanderbank were taken. The Duke, who had been appointed Master of The Great Wardrobe in 1689, commissioned Vanderbank to lengthen the tapestries for his ‘Bedchamber and Dressing Room’ and Vanderbank is recorded as weaving two further tapestries to match in 1704 at a cost of £48, so it is certain that he would have had unrestricted access to Montagu's earlier tapestries whilst they were in his workshop. Interestingly, whilst the detail of the central field of the Montagu version is near identical, the scene there extends further, suggesting (if it were one of those lengthened) that this version might have been taken prior to Vanderbank’s extension of the original; furthermore it is interesting to note that the image here is reversed from the Montagu tapestry, which may give some insight into the execution of the present example. The Montagu group, which have different borders, remain at Boughton, Northamptonshire, in the collection of the Duke of Buccleuch (see R. Buccleugh, Boughton, The House, Its People and Its Collections, privately printed, 2016, pp. 82-83, illustrated in The Duke’s Study).
This tapestry is almost certainly the one illustrated and discussed by H. C. Marillier, in English Tapestries of the Eighteenth Century (op. cit.), which is associated with Vanderbank and described as part of a set of three recently sold from the collection of Mrs Wrangham (also illustrated). It is most likely that Mrs. Wrangham was the, Mrs. Wrangham née Grimston of Neswick Hall, Yorkshire who had died the year before the publication of Marillier’s book, probably precipitating the ‘recent’ sale referred to. Neswick Hall was a substantial house which had passed by descent since its purchase in 1616. It had undergone many phases of remodelling, its last guise being of paired down Grecian form with a central block flanked by substantial projecting pedimented bays, presumably dating to the early 19th century. The house remained in the Wrangham family until the death of Mrs. Wrangham’s son in 1945, the house was demolished in 1954.
An extensive set of tapestries from this series is also recorded at Cotehele, Cornwall, and one panel has the signature of John Vanderbank, re-sewn from a cut-off selvedge (ibid. p. 24).
A further closely related tapestry from the same series, attributed to Vanderbank, but lacking borders was sold, Christie’s London, 2 April 2003, lot 34 (£47,800).
The tapestry belongs to a group generally known as the ‘Naked Boys’ series whose subject derives from Italian ‘Puttini’ tapestries of the 1540s. The original ‘Puttini’ tapestries are a Renaissance re-invention of the ancient lost painting described in the III century AD by the Greek sophist Philostratus in the Eikones (Imagines), showing Venus and the putti playing, fighting, fishing and picking fruit. The text, translated into Latin by Celio Calcagnini in 1510, had already been used as a literary base by Raphael for drawings of putti playing. An intriguing Renaissance source that can be linked directly to this series is a pen and ink drawing in the collection of the Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth by Giulio Romano (1492-1546), one of Raphael's most accomplished students, showing putti playing and climbing trees. Giulio Pippi, known as Giulio Romano, was one of the most renowned Italian artists of the first half of the XVI century, who also worked with Raphael on the drawings and cartoons of the Acts of the Apostles and subsequently drew the Triumph of Scipio, the Stories of Hercules, as well as the cartoons for the series of the Giochi di putti [the Playing Puttini], of which one spectacular example was offered at Christie’s, London, 7 July 2011, lot 40. Strong parallels can also be drawn with Romano's wild Mannerist frescos at the Palazzo del Te, Mantua.
A Franco-Flemish version of this tapestry of circa 1660-75, part of a series of ‘Naked Boys’ tapestries from the collection of Ralph, 1st Duke of Montagu, was almost certainly the prototype from which this and other comparable tapestries attributed to Vanderbank were taken. The Duke, who had been appointed Master of The Great Wardrobe in 1689, commissioned Vanderbank to lengthen the tapestries for his ‘Bedchamber and Dressing Room’ and Vanderbank is recorded as weaving two further tapestries to match in 1704 at a cost of £48, so it is certain that he would have had unrestricted access to Montagu's earlier tapestries whilst they were in his workshop. Interestingly, whilst the detail of the central field of the Montagu version is near identical, the scene there extends further, suggesting (if it were one of those lengthened) that this version might have been taken prior to Vanderbank’s extension of the original; furthermore it is interesting to note that the image here is reversed from the Montagu tapestry, which may give some insight into the execution of the present example. The Montagu group, which have different borders, remain at Boughton, Northamptonshire, in the collection of the Duke of Buccleuch (see R. Buccleugh, Boughton, The House, Its People and Its Collections, privately printed, 2016, pp. 82-83, illustrated in The Duke’s Study).
This tapestry is almost certainly the one illustrated and discussed by H. C. Marillier, in English Tapestries of the Eighteenth Century (op. cit.), which is associated with Vanderbank and described as part of a set of three recently sold from the collection of Mrs Wrangham (also illustrated). It is most likely that Mrs. Wrangham was the, Mrs. Wrangham née Grimston of Neswick Hall, Yorkshire who had died the year before the publication of Marillier’s book, probably precipitating the ‘recent’ sale referred to. Neswick Hall was a substantial house which had passed by descent since its purchase in 1616. It had undergone many phases of remodelling, its last guise being of paired down Grecian form with a central block flanked by substantial projecting pedimented bays, presumably dating to the early 19th century. The house remained in the Wrangham family until the death of Mrs. Wrangham’s son in 1945, the house was demolished in 1954.
An extensive set of tapestries from this series is also recorded at Cotehele, Cornwall, and one panel has the signature of John Vanderbank, re-sewn from a cut-off selvedge (ibid. p. 24).
A further closely related tapestry from the same series, attributed to Vanderbank, but lacking borders was sold, Christie’s London, 2 April 2003, lot 34 (£47,800).