l 6 feA«»*i'AHT«^Ufe TAVbStK^eS C5/>iup^o/^BnreN M'n- Exhibition of apestrtes at the galleries of Wm. ^aufngartefi\ ^ Co 715 Fijih Avehiw at Fifty-sixth Street Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Getty Research Institute https://archive.org/details/antiquetapestrieOOunse ANTIQUE TAPESTRIES C/jM'^~JJ^'\jAj^ /l^lX Copyright, igi6 Wm. Baumgarten &> Co. Descriptive List of the Tapestries Exhibited 1 “ACHILLES DISCOVERED,” a tapestry 12 feet I by 16 feet 10, woven in Brussels in the style of Louis XIV, at the beginning of the eighteenth century, by Jean Baptiste Vermilion, whose name is signed in the bottom selvage ( 1 . B. VERMILION). Thetis, the mother of Achilles, in order to preserve the life of her son, of whom it had been predicted that with¬ out him Troy could not be taken, and that the victory would cost him his life, dressed him as a girl and sent him to be brought up at the court of Lycomedes, in the island of Scyros. Here he fell in love and secretly married the most beautiful of Lycomedes’ daughters. Meanwhile, the Greeks, being unable to capture Troy, sent Ulysses to find Achilles. Ulysses disguised himself as a pedler, went to the palace of Lycomedes and spread out his wares (as shown in the tapestry) before the daughters of Lycomedes. Achilles at once betrayed himself by the enthusiasm with which he seized a helmet that lay concealed among the feminine trinkets. 2 “TESTING THE VINTAGE,” a tapestry after the design of Teniers, 10 feet 6 by ii feet 5,'’woven in Brussels, at the beginning of the eighteenth century 5 by Pierre van den Hecke, whose signature, P. VAN DEN HECKE, together with the Brussels mark, a shield between two B’s, appears in the lower part of the panel. 3 “SPRING,” a tapestry lo feet 9 by 14 feet, after the design of Louis van Schoor of Antwerp, -who is responsible for many of the most beautiful tapestries produced in Brussels in the period of Louis XIV, among them: Nos. 4 and 5 in this exhibition; four tapestries in our collection but not included in this exhibition, portraying the four goddesses of Abundance, Pomona, Ceres, Ops, Flora; a splendid “Abundance” tapestry shown at the recent Phila¬ delphia Tapestry Exhibition; two tapestries illus¬ trated by Guichard and Darcel in their elaborate volumes on the “Tapisseries du Garde Meuble.” 4 “HUNTING,” a tapestry 10 feet 2 by 19 feet 5, one of the largest and richest scenes designed by Louis Van Schoor (see description of No. 3), and a companion piece to No. 5, with the same border and height. 5 “MUSIC,” a tapestry 10 feet 4 by 13 feet 6, companion piece to No. 4. The composition is interesting and effective, the broad river and the huge mountains giving the lady with the guitar just the kind of magnificent background that she and the style of the period demand. 6 “FISH" MARKET,” a tapestry 10 feet 8 by 18 feet 4, woven at Beauvais in the period of Louis XIV, 6 after the design of Teniers. Most tenieres are com¬ paratively small, and not sufficiently important for a large interior. This, on the contrary, with its wide and beautiful border, and magnificent contrasts of air, water, and architecture, is worthy to be employed as the piece de resistance in a noble room. For once, Teniers forsook the trivial, but fortunately without losing any of the qualities that make his work fas¬ cinating. 7 “PEASANTS DANCING,” a tapestry lo by 15 feet, one of Teniers’ most characteristic scenes, woven at Brussels in the early part of the eighteenth century. Certainly nothing could be more suggestive of the farmyard than the pig’s head protruding on the left, or of peasant music than the primitive instrument whose strings are made to vibrate by the circumference of a wooden wheel, the handle of which the operator is seen turning. 8 “DIANA and CALLISTO,” a Louis XIV Brussels tapestry, 9 feet 7 by 14 feet 6. On the extreme right, the eagle of Jupiter; on the left, Callisto and the other maidens of Diana; in the foreground, Jupiter dis¬ guised as Diana, bearing away the child Areas—that is the visible proof of Callisto’s flirtation with Jupiter —in order to save it from the wrath of Juno. 9 “CHILDREN PLAYING,” a Louis XVI tap¬ estry, 10 feet 8 by 7 feet i, woven at Aubusson in the last half of the eighteenth century. Texture and coloration are those characteristic of the finest work 7 of Aubusson at this period. The effect of the rose on cream ground with blue border, is exquisitely delicate and appropriately backgrounds the small upright oval medallion in the centre of the panel, which carries the picture. The scene shows three children with “bones,” one of the children apparently trying to learn from the other two how to wield the delectable instrum.ents of music. 10 “THE JEWELER,” a Gothic tapestry, 8 feet 8 by 8 feet 9, woven in the last quarter of the fifteenth century, and possessing more human interest than almost any of its contemporaries that are apt to deal with remote historical or religious subjects. Here we have a princely court, enlivened by the presence of ten beautifully gowned and hatted and jeweled ladies, with three lonely cavaliers in the back¬ ground, two of whom far outshine the ladies by means of the trinities of luxuriant feathers with which their hats are adorned. The jeweler’s portmanteau con¬ tains a rich stock displayed to tempt the extravagance of the fair ones—a small round mirror in rich frame, necklaces and pendants, numerous sticks of rings, boxes of jewels set and unset, a royal pack of cards, a costly pair of gloves, and silk ribbons galore. Al¬ ready some of the ladies, with their curiously elab¬ orate and interesting millinery, are beginning to yield to the fascination of the wares. 11 “ARABESQUE,” a tapestry 8 feet 8 by 5 feet 6, one of those designed by Berain for the tapestry works 8 at Beauvais, and woven there during the reign of Louis XIV. The large vase of flowers, on arabesque ground with arabesque border, all in red and blue on cream and blue, is most decorative. 12 “GROTESQUE,” a framed tapestry 4 feet 6 by 7 feet, one of the type inspired by the ornamental paintings of ancient Rome, called grotesque in the six¬ teenth century because found underground, like those excavated later at Pompeii and Herculaneum. In the seventeenth century the term grotesque was replaced by arabesque. 13 “EUROPA,” an eighteenth century Gobelin tapestry, 10 feet 2 by 10 feet 9, noteworthy for the fact that Europa herself, as in the similar scene de¬ signed by Oudry, is absent. In the foreground, Jupiter asleep, and Mercury, who has dropped his caduceus before going to summon the fair maiden. In the background on the left, Cupid and the white bull into which Jupiter transforms himself for the purpose of deceiving Europa. 14 “PSYCHE,” an eighteenth century Beauvais tapestry, 9 feet 6 by 8 feet 8. Psyche, borne by the Zephyrs, arrives at the palace of Love. 15 “DIANA and ENDYMION,” an eighteenth century Gobelin tapestry, ii feet 3 by 13 feet. Endymion was the only man the chaste Diana ever loved, and even him she loved chastely. But the scene shows that her interest has at last been really 9 aroused. Characteristic of her is the chariot drawn by two hinds, as well as the crescent on her brow. 16 “ALEXANDER and ANTIPATER,” a Direc- toire tapestry, ii feet i by 7 feet 10, after the design of Monsiau, woven at Beauvais in the last decade of the eighteenth century. It shows Alexander seated, giving his signet ring to Antipater as sign that he entrusts to him the rule of Greece during his own absence in the East; and it is a companion piece to the tapestry illustrated by M. Badin in his book on the Beauvais tapestry works, “Aristotle surprised by Alexander while drawing the chariot of Camaspe.” 17 “DIANA and ENDYMION,” an eighteenth century Gobelin tapestry, 7 feet 9 by 10 feet, another version of the scene pictured in No. 15. 18 “CHAMBORD,” a Gobelin tapestry 10 feet 10 by 22 feet, one of the famous twelve Royal Resi¬ dences designed by Charles Lebrun for Louis XIV, and woven at the Gobelins over and over again, on both high warp and low warp looms. Erom the decorative point of view, this is the most attractive “Chambord” ever produced, lacking the massive entablature that in the earlier examples overloaded the top of the panel; but extended on both right and left by the addition of the side panels. The tapestry before us came from the Parma collection, and was presented by Louis XV to his father-in-law, the fugitive king of Poland, Stanislas, who inhabited 10 Chambord from 1725 to 1733. Both of their mono¬ grams appear twice in the lower part of the tapestry, the double “L” of Louis, and the “ST” of Stanislas. The monogram on the cartouche in the upper part of the tapestry is said to be that of Louis XV (Quinze) as Duke of Parma (L Q D P). 19, 20, 21, 22 “AMUSEMENTS CHAMPETRES,” a set of four tapestries 9 feet high, by 13 feet 6, 16 feet 4, II feet II, and 15 feet wide, respectively, woven at Aubusson in the last half of the eighteenth century, in coarsest but fascinating texture that makes the most of the luminous background distinctive of Aubusson tapestries of this period. The subject of the first is “SEE-SAW;” of the second, “BLIND MAN’S BUFF;” of the third, “HOLDING HANDS;” of the fourth, “LEAP FROG.” 23 A Louis XIV Flemish tapestry 8 feet 6 by 10 feet 10, of unidentified subject, with light and at¬ tractive arabesque border, and with massive classic architecture on the right that backgrounds the scene effectively. 24 “MELEAGER and ATALANTA,” a Louis XIV Flemish tapestry, 9 feet 10 by 13 feet 5. The same design as one in the Royal Swedish Collection that is signed with the Brussels mark and MARCUS. DE. VOS. The border is noteworthy. 25 “FOUNTAIN,” a Louis XIV Flemish tapestry, 9 feet 7 by 12 feet 6, symbolizing the delights of water. 11 26 “CHRIST GIVING the KEYS to SAINT PETER,” lo feet 6 by lo feet, a late Renaissance version of Raphael’s famous design, one of the ten Acts of the Apostles made for Pope Leo X, woven at Brussels for the Sistine Chapel, and now hanging in the Vatican. The Latin caption in the top border reads, translated: “Christ entrusts his sheep to Peter, say¬ ing: ‘Feed my sheep,’ John XXI,” but the Latin co 7 inendat is a perversion from commendat. 27 “HECTOR BATTERING DOWN the GATE,” a Renaissance tapestry, ii feet 6 by 14 feet 10, of rich coloration, picturing the famous scene from Homer’s “Iliad,” where Hector, with a huge rock, batters down the gate of the fortified camp of the Greeks. 28 “JUDITH,” a Renaissance tapestry, 10 feet by 8 feet 6, woven at Tournai, the tower of which appears in the right selvage, and picturing the godspeed given by the Jewish high priest to Judith and her maid when they set forth on their dangerous mission to Holo- phernes. 29 “DIANA at the BATH,” a delightfully modest Renaissance version of the famous story, 11 feet 2 by 17 feet I. Diana and her maids are on the right; Actaeon and his huntsmen, on the left; in the back¬ ground on the left, a splendid chateau and garden; in the background on the right, a village scene with peasants drinking and dancing. The activity of the hunstmen with their falcons and lures is noticeable. 12 “EURYDICE," a Renaissance tapestry, lo feet 8 by 14 feet 5, showing the serpent’s wound received in Hying from a too ardent lover, which sent Eurydice down to the realms of Pluto and Proser¬ pine, whence her bridegroom Orpheus struggled to rescue her, thus developing the famous story of “Orpheus and Eurydice.’’ 31 “GARDEN,’’ a rare and rich Renaissance tapestry, 10 feet 10 by 10 feet 7, full of color and decorative detail as well as human interest. The contrast of the lake with the arbored bridges and vine-covered shores is splendidly effective. 32, 33, 34, 35 “VERDURES,’’ set of four, 9 feet 4 inches high, by 3 feet 10, 6 feet ii, 13 feet 7, and 7 feet wide, respectively, woven at Aubusson in the last half of the eighteenth century, backgrounded with imposing chateaux and rivers, and enlivened with wild fowls and birds. 36, 37, 38, 39 “VERDURES,’’ set of four based on the designs of Oudry, 9 feet 5 inches high, by 15 feet 8, 13 feet 11,4 feet 2, and to feet 11 wide, respectively, with architectural backgrounds, and dogs and wild fowls in the foregrounds. Interesting borders of festooned poles. 40 A Louis XIV cantonniere 13 feet 7 by 12 feet 7, of rich coloration, with coats-of-arms in each upper corner. 13 41 “ROYAL ARMORIALS,” a pair of Gobelin tapestries, each 9 feet by ii feet 7, bearing the royal insignia of Louis XIV. 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