An impressive genre tapestry depicting 'The Procession of the Fat Ox'

Flemish, circa 1730, after Teniers, signed V LEYNIERS (Urbanus Leyniers) after a design by Jan van Orley

Footnotes

Provenance
Private Collection.
Formerly property of Lord Leverhulme, sold at Thornton Manor, Wirral, Merseyside, Sotheby's, lot 285, 2001.

Teniers Tapestries
In the late 17th and early 18th century, pastoral and genre tapestries like this were hugely popular.

These 'Teniers' tapestries, which is what they were known as, were designed and woven after the well-loved paintings of David II Teniers (1610-1690). Teniers has been compared to the satirical drawings of William Hogarth because of his 'tongue-in-cheek' depictions of rustic life and peasants. Teniers lived and worked in the Low Countries when it was under Hapsburg control and enjoyed a number of prestigious commissions. These included King Philip IV and Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria.

It is important to note that the weaving of these tapestries was not limited to Brussels factories, they were also woven in Oudenaarde, Beauvais, Aubusson, London and even Madrid. Because of this wide reach of creativity, it can be hard to pinpoint the exact weavers of Teniers tapestries. The present lot is signed so we know it is from the workshop of/woven by Urbanus Leyniers (1705-47).

The Leyniers workshop was one of the many Brussels workshops to create these 'Teniers Tapestries,' and used the cartoons of Jan Van Orley and Augustin Coppens. Pieces like the present lot offered a light-hearted alternative to the heavy historical and mythological tapestries which, until then, had been in vogue when decorating grand houses and palaces. The Leyniers dynasty of weavers was one of the oldest and most widely known families of dyers and weavers in Brussels. From 1729 until his retirement in 1745, Urbanus Leyniers worked with his son Daniel III. As such both their names sometimes appear on sets of tapestries. Daniel III was the last manager from 1745 until 1768 when he closed the workshop.

The popularity of these Teniers tapestries truly began in the latter half of the 17th century. The earliest evidence can be found in the workshop records of Jacob van der Borght and Jeroen le Clerc. A set was produced for William III of England before 1700. Their popularity really took hold in the 18th century and were produced at a number of centres throughout Europe, as mentioned above. If we look specifically at Brussels production, each workshop had its own style and designs.

The present lot encapsulates the characteristics of the Leyniers-Reydams workshop which owned cartoons by Ignatius de Hondt and Jan van Orley, with landscapes by Augustin Coppens. The consistent themes in these tapestries were country folk and their activities. As with the present lot, the pictures would usually have a somewhat stereotyped aspect and be set against a flat area enclosed by tall trees. In addition, there would be an inn or a house to one side.


The Leverhulme Collection
The Leverhulme family originated from Bolton in Lancashire and founded a soap works in the late 19th century. The company grew and moved to a purpose-built factory on the river Mersey. The family bought Thornton Manor in 1888 and it was here that the art collection expanded. The purpose-built Lady Lever Art Gallery created a space where the Leverhulme collection could be accessed by the public. A number of the masterpieces remained in the collection until the 2001 Thornton Manor Sotheby's sale, including the present lot.