A striking mythological tapestry Brussels, early 18th century, possibly from the Leyniers workshop after designs by Jan Van Orley and Augustin Coppens, 353cm x 350cm
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Find your local specialistA striking mythological tapestry
Depicting the story of Neptune, the main field set at the edge of a sea cliff in a rocky alcove, the figure of Neptune holding his trident in his left hand, surrounded by nymphs and blowing winds, wearing a rich red robe, the female figure (probably Amphitrite) in a beautiful blue robe, her hair intricately adorned, climbing from Neptune's shell shaped chariot, which is pulled by hippocampi, the figure of Triton son of Neptune, sitting on one of these hippocampi, blowing his conch shell, the crimson border with gold frame pattern, with shell motifs to each corner and at the central point, the bottom central piece adorned with seaweed and the top central shell with ribbon tied swags,
353cm x 350cm
Footnotes
Provenance
Private Collection.
The present lot forms part of a series called 'Pleasures of the Gods.' This particular scene depicts the story of Neptune and the sea goddess Amphitrite. The sea god was anxious to take Amphitrite as his wife, but she fled to Atlas to preserve her virginity. Neptune sent creatures and messengers throughout the world to find her. Eventually the messenger Delphin discovered her and persuaded her to marry Neptune. To show his thanks Neptune created the Delphinus constellation.
The present lot was probably woven in the workshops of Urban and Daniel III Leyniers, after designs by Jan Van Orley and Augustin Coppens. Due to increased competition in France, there were only a few noteworthy workshops in Brussels at the start of the 18th century. A record from 1703-1707 shows that there were only nine important workshops in Brussels with 53 looms and employing about 150 people. One of these workshops was the Leyniers firm. By the mid 18th century, the tapestry industry in Brussels had gone into steep decline. There were two factories which were still operating at this point and one of these was under the control of Daniel III Leyniers. The Leyniers workshop was arguably one of the most important families of weavers from the early 16th century until the closure of the factory in 1768.
Tapestries like this typified the fashion for beautiful and delicate mythological stories, rather than gorier battle scenes which proved more popular in the 17th century. For a similar example see lot 214 from Sotheby's English and Continental Furniture Part II, 2005 and Sotheby's, London 13 December 1991, lot 18.
Literature
E.J.Kalf, 'Drie Leyniers- Tapijten te Middelburg' Artes Textiles V; Gent, 1959- 1960, pp.103-117.
Göbel, Tapestries of the Lowlands, New York, 1974, fig. 292, illustrates a close variant of this composition, in which Neptune is seen holding a trident.
G. Delmarcel, Flemish Tapestries, 1999, The Last Brussels workshops, p.333.
