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181 - SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS An exceptional tapestry panel, circa 15…
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Estimate €3,000 - €5,000
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Description
SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS An exceptional tapestry panel, circa 1550–1570, probably from Tournai or Brussels. Its theme: The works of mercy are deeds that every good Christian must perform, such as: feeding the hungry, giving drink, welcoming the poor, caring for the sick, and clothing the naked. These are acts of charity, but also moral duties incumbent upon those in power. This tapestry is structured according to a moral framework, in which several simultaneous actions illustrate: the works of mercy, human justice, Christian salvation, and the ideal organisation of society. Wool and silk Mid-16th century Height: 250 cm; Width: 230 cm. (Natural oxidation and wear; tapestry mounted on a wooden frame; unlined) Provenance: - Hôtel de Conti in Fontainebleau - acquired from the Bresset Gallery in the 1970s by the current owners ANALYSIS OF THE PANEL: In the foreground, centred in the composition, a seated woman is holding a jug on her lap; she faces a tonsured monk on the right-hand side of the panel, who is holding a pot and serving soup with a ladle, a man standing between the woman and the monk is drinking soup from a bowl. Further to the right, set back from the monk, stands a noblewoman, holding a basket in her left arm and, with her right hand, giving bread to a woman situated in the centre of the panel, between the monk and the man drinking soup. In the background, behind the woman with the bread, a man can be seen shackled to a pillory, condemned to be subjected to public scorn. On the left, a nobleman of a certain age comes to offer him comfort. Further to the left, an elderly beggar, leaning on a crutch and dressed in rags, waits his turn to receive some soup. In the background, between the man in the stocks and the noblewoman, one can glimpse, behind the bars of a castle window, two men who are presumably prisoners. The castle occupies the entire right-hand background of the panel. In the left-hand background, beyond the old beggar and the noblewoman of a certain age, one can see a man ploughing a field with the aid of a horse. Further up the panel in the centre, on the hillsides, a sparse crowd of people can be seen watching the hanging of a condemned man. I. THE FOREGROUND: THE REGISTER OF ACTIVE CHARITY The foreground brings together the most significant gestures. Each action corresponds to a work of corporal mercy. 1. The monk distributing soup → ‘Feeding the hungry’ The tonsured monk: holds a cauldron, serves with a ladle, feeds the poor. He represents: institutional Christian charity, the role of religious orders in assisting the needy. The soup is essential: simple, communal food, a symbol of minimal yet vital aid. The act of ladling is central: it embodies the flow of grace and nourishment. 2. The noblewoman giving out bread → ‘Giving food’ and ‘practising charity’ This figure is extremely important. She: carries a basket, distributes bread, acts with calm and dignity. She embodies: the ideal Christian nobility, the generosity of the powerful, the moral responsibility of the elite. Bread obviously possesses: nutritional value, but also a Eucharistic significance. Bread evokes Christ, sharing and salvation. 3. The seated woman holding a jug → A figure of reception and mediation. This woman is fascinating because she does not act directly: she holds a jug between her knees, she is seated, she is watching the scene. The jug may symbolise: water, wine, and thus sustenance or purification. She seems to play a role: that of an intermediary, a source of stability, almost allegorical. She could personify: abundance, temperance, or the community benefiting from charity. 4. The man drinking soup → The poor man receiving aid His gesture is very concrete: drinking, receiving, surviving. He represents: the needy, the humble, those who depend on Christian mercy. His bowl is significant: it symbolises dependence but also the acceptance of aid. II. THE THEME OF SUFFERING AND JUSTICE 5. The man on the trebuchet → Public justice and humiliation The trebuchet is a form of public humiliation. This figure is punished, humiliated before everyone, exposed to the collective gaze. Here, the tapestry introduces a key theme: earthly justice. But what is remarkable is that the scene is not merely punitive. 6. The elderly nobleman comforting the condemned man → ‘Visiting the prisoners’ This is probably the panel’s key iconographic element. The nobleman approaches the condemned man, offering him moral comfort. This refers directly to a work of mercy: ‘visiting the prisoners’. The tapestry thus depicts human justice tempered by Christian compassion. This is crucial: charity must endure even towards the guilty. III. THE CASTLE AND THE PRISONERS 7. The men behind bars → The theme of imprisonment. The prisoners visible at the window extend the judicial theme, serve as a reminder of human frailty, and evoke the forgotten inmates. Yet their presence in the composition signifies that they must not be excluded from the Christian community. Once again: mercy transcends condemnation. IV. THE FARM LAND AND LABOUR 8. The ploughman with his horse → Labour as the foundation of social order This scene may seem secondary, but it is essential. Ploughing: nourishes society, ensures stability, symbolises the order willed by God. The peasant, too, plays a part in collective salvation: through his labour. Here we see the medieval vision of the three estates: those who pray, those who fight/govern, and those who work. V. THE HANGING in the background 9. The condemned man hanging → Ultimate justice and a moral warning The hanging: serves as a reminder of the power of the law, showing the consequences of sin or crime. Yet it is positioned far away, high up, almost lost in the landscape. This creates a very subtle interpretation: justice exists, but the tapestry places greater emphasis on mercy and assistance. VI. OVERALL STRUCTURE OF THE PANEL The composition contrasts two systems: Mercy Justice bread punishment soup trebuchet assistance prison comfort hanging But the tapestry does not pit one against the other. It depicts an ideal Christian world where justice must be tempered by compassion. GENERAL INTERPRETATION: This panel appears to explore moral and political reflections on: poverty, justice, the duty of the elite, and Christian charity. The nobility, the clergy and the labourers each occupy a specific role within a social order presented as harmonious and ordained by God. The simultaneous presence of the poor being fed, prisoners being visited, the condemned being punished, and agricultural labour transforms the tapestry into a true representation of ideal Christian governance. Putti can be seen climbing the vines to harvest the grapes, whilst some of them play with a goat, the guardian animal of the god Bacchus. This panel is adorned with a richly floral border surrounding a festooned frame. We can see that the colours are still very vivid. Two other panels from this tapestry are known to exist, one of which, unfortunately, has ‘faded’ colours. Expert: Mr Kassapian
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About the sale FURNITURE AND WORKS OF ART
Auction location
Auction time 06/27/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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