CIRCA 1760, PROBABLY COLOGNE, IN THE MANNER OF SAVONNERIE

This ‘picture’, woven in the Savonnerie manner, was almost certainly produced at the carpet factory established in Germany by Clement Augustus, Elector of Cologne, brother of Emperor Charles VII, a passionate admirer of French art. The factory, in the Bonn region, was run by a man named “Varlet”, a freelance craftsman who had previously deserted the Savonnerie factory in Chaillot, Paris. Pierre Verlet explains how these “wandering craftsman” were a huge problem for the Savonnerie factory, as they often set up rival ateliers (P. Verlet, The James A. De Rothschild collection at Waddesdon Manor, The Savonnerie, Its History, The Waddesdon Collection, London, 1982, p. 137-139). Varlet was denounced for leaving the factory in Paris unlawfully and for attempting to poach fellow workers from Chaillot. A set of dining-chairs with mid-18th century Savonnerie covers signed by Varlet were sold Christie’s, New York, 18 October 2002, lot 371 ($119,500).

A panel of this composition is in the Kunstgewerbemuseum, Cologne, described as woven after a Dutch painting, called The Letter or The Temptation, from Clement Augustus’ own art collection (ibid, p. 139, fig. 82). Although the original painting has apparently been lost, a version entitled Unequal Love and attributed to Herman van der Mijn (1684-1741), was sold Christie’s, London, 27 October 1999, lot 308; another version was sold as ‘Follower of Willem van Mieris’, Christie’s, London, 30 October 2002, lot 53. Both examples mirror the composition of the present carpet panel.