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an image of a tapestry with a painting of people in a gardena painting of a group of people in a wooded setting
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ALEXANDRE LANDRE - SEMUR-EN-AUXOIS

39 - A significant and finely crafted tapestry panel from BEAUVAI…
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Estimate €15,000 - €20,000
Sale commission
Description
A significant and finely crafted tapestry panel from BEAUVAIS (France), early 18th century. Don Quixote: The Entry of Love and Wealth at Gamache’s Wedding. In wool and silk. H_244 cm W_364 cm In the shade of thick, coat-of-arms-adorned trees flanking the scene, amidst a flower-strewn undergrowth, and in front of a magnificent crenellated building, Don Quixote of La Mancha lounges, fully kitted out, armed with his famous lance, with which he set off to battle his famous windmills. Opposite him, Sancho Panza, his faithful servant and squire, is lying on the ground and appears ready to roast a plucked and trussed bird. Separated by a proud Cupid in a reddish toga, with his bow and quiver slung across his chest, the two groups face each other: one on Don Quixote’s side, comprising ‘wealth’ and her affable maids, one of whom holds a divining rod, and the other, on Sancho’s side, comprising ‘Love’, accompanied by an Apollo carrying an oil lamp and two maids, one of whom is holding out a crown to the allegory of Love. Behind the battlements, a noble lady observes the scene, leaning on the battlements. A tapestry from the Don Quixote series, rare, colourful and of great finesse. Based on a painting by Charles-Antoine Coypel, in the collections of the Château de Compiègne. Charles-Antoine Coypel (1694–1752) was undoubtedly the first French artist to illustrate Cervantes’ (1547–1616) *The History of Don Quixote* in painting. The cartoons commissioned from the Gobelins workshop were produced between 1715 and 1751; they enjoyed immense success, particularly through the engravings published in the 1732 edition based on the translation by Filleau de Saint-Martin (1632–1691). The tapestries met with similar enthusiasm. No fewer than 175 pieces were woven in the 18th century, featuring various borders, either in low-warp or high-warp weaving. As a man closely connected to the world of theatre, Coypel painted his Don Quixote in the spirit of the times: burlesque and somewhat ridiculous. However, the strength of this painter lies in having conceived this series with a freshness of inspiration and a picturesque quality that will never be equalled.
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About the sale Collection of the Château de Villebourgeon & others
Auction location
Auction time 10/04/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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