Lot Essay
According to Baden (op.cit.), La Musique is one of fourteen subjects from the Fêtes Italiennes series woven at Beauvais from 1736-1754 after designs by François Boucher. It was woven at least eleven times.
This scene is also found at the center of a tapestry dated 1736 in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It combines four scenes from Fêtes l'Italiennes and was made for the Hotel Soubise. The Metropolitan Museum of Art owns another version from the Gatellier family which incorporates several scenes including La Musique at the far right side. According to Standen (op.cit.), these subjects were combined or separated according to the demands of the purchaser.
This scene is also found at the center of a tapestry dated 1736 in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It combines four scenes from Fêtes l'Italiennes and was made for the Hotel Soubise. The Metropolitan Museum of Art owns another version from the Gatellier family which incorporates several scenes including La Musique at the far right side. According to Standen (op.cit.), these subjects were combined or separated according to the demands of the purchaser.