OSENAT
162
-
BRUSSELS WORKSHOP
See original version (French)
162
-
BRUSSELS WORKSHOP
See original version (French)
Estimate €8,000 - €10,000
Voluntary lot
Description
BRUSSELS WORKSHOP
A large tapestry in wool and silk depicting a mythological scene featuring the goddess Diana, linked to the story of Cephalus and Procris. The scene is set in a hunting landscape.
Circa 1680–1730
285 x 325 cm.
Lined and braided tapestry; restored (notably the silk threads in the sky); high-quality Flemish production, intended for a prestigious clientele.
Description:
On the right, Procris (Cephalus’s wife), partially undressed, lies reclining on a drapery in shades of pink and orange, accompanied by a small winged Cupid, armed with a bow and quiver, surrounded by hunting dogs.
On the left, a female figure (Diana, Artemis to the Greeks, goddess of the Hunt), depicted with a spear and accompanied by a hunting dog.
A remarkable wooded landscape brought to life by trees and forest vegetation.
A wide, polychrome floral border, adorned with an abundant decoration of leafy scrolls, garlands of various flowers and bouquets tied with ribbons.
Sinuous stems, serrated leaves and flowers—both in bloom and in bud—intertwine against a fairly dark brown background, bringing out the shades of cream, golden yellow, pink, ochre and blue-green.
Note:
This panel forms part of a series of tapestries depicting the story of the love between Cephalus and Procris. Here, the panel depicts the moment when the goddess Artemis / Daine, having welcomed the young Procris to Crete, presented her with a dog and a magical javelin, after which the young woman takes her leave. Rural themes were very frequently depicted in workshops throughout France and Flanders. Indeed, this type of tapestry panel was highly prized at that time. A beautiful border featuring flowers enhances this tapestry.
The Myth:
Cephalus, a Thessalian prince and son of Deion and Diomedes, had married Procris, one of the daughters of Erechtheus, King of Athens. She was remarkably beautiful. He aroused a fierce passion in Eos (the Dawn); she, wishing to separate him from Procris, urged him to test his wife’s fidelity. To this end, he approached her in disguise: having succeeded in seducing her, he drove her away. Procris, ashamed, fled to Crete, where Artemis gave her a dog and a magical javelin. Later, Procris returned home in the guise of an alluring young woman who offered herself to Cephalus in exchange for the goddess’s gifts. Cephalus accepted, and Procris then revealed her true identity.
The couple were thus reconciled. Jealousy, however, gnawed at Procris’s heart, as she believed her husband was meeting Eos during his hunting trips. One night, she secretly followed him. She accidentally stirred a branch. Thinking that game was hiding behind the foliage, Cephalus threw his javelin and pierced the body of his beloved Procris; distraught by her death, he killed himself with the same javelin. According to another version, the Areopagus banished him for this murder. He withdrew to the island which took his name, Cephalonia, and, haunted by the ghost of his beloved, eventually threw himself into the sea. "
Related:
(Landscape with Cephale and Procris reunited by Diana)
Painting by Claude Lorrain (1605–1682) held at the National Gallery, London, Gallery 29.
Source
1) Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest.
2) Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris
3) Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain de Saint-Étienne Métropole
4) Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles
5) Château de Meudon
Expert: Mr Kassapian
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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