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Lot Essay
This tapestry is from the series the History of Julius Caesar, which was almost certainly designed by a follower of Bernard van Orley (c. 1488-1541), such as Pieter Coecke van Aelst (1502-1550) or Leonard Thiry (c.1500-c.1550). The original set, which consisted of ten panels woven with gold thread, appears to have been supplied to King Henry VIII (1491-1547) between 29 September 1543 and September 1544, as indicated by a payment to line the back of a set of 'Augusto Cesere' tapestries. However, this set can only be traced in the Royal collection until the 19th century, and its location is now unknown. Other early sets are recorded in the Vatican collection of Pope Julius III and Swedish royal collection of King Erik XIV of (1533-1577).
This large series was rewoven a number of times through the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and although no complete set or record survives, the complexity of the series has been discussed and parsed out by Thomas Campbell in his article ‘New Light on a Set of History of Julius Caesar Tapestries in Henry VIII’s Collection’, Studies in the Decorative Arts, Vol. 5, No. 2, Spring-Summer 1998, pp. 2-39. His narrative of the various recorded and extant survivals from the later generations of weavings delineates and compares variations in borders, details and ultimately differences in cartoon origin, ultimately suggesting the above attributions. The present lot, which is almost certainly the lost tapestry illustrated in his article as figure 7 (now lacking borders), serves as a lynchpin in Campbell’s discussion. The subject, The Reunion of Pompey and Cornelia, helps bridge the gap between the various sources, as it links this example with a later generation tapestry of the same subject, now conserved at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, and a cartoon used for the rower’s face, at the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung, Munich. By comparing differences between these three sources, Campbell was able to discern the sources for generations of weavings, highlight the original intent of design which was lost in the second generation weaving and ultimately create a listing of the original narrative scheme.
Only few examples from this series have come to sale in recent years. A 17th century rendition of the Assassination of Pompey was sold Christie's, London, 2 April 1988, lot 215, while a tapestry fragment likely from the generation as the current lot depicting Caesar Breaking down the Door of the Treasury was sold Christie’s, New York, 31 March 2000, lot 189. Additionally, a set of four 17th century tapestries by Marcus de Vos are conserved at Powis Castle, Wales, including an additional example of this subject.
This large series was rewoven a number of times through the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and although no complete set or record survives, the complexity of the series has been discussed and parsed out by Thomas Campbell in his article ‘New Light on a Set of History of Julius Caesar Tapestries in Henry VIII’s Collection’, Studies in the Decorative Arts, Vol. 5, No. 2, Spring-Summer 1998, pp. 2-39. His narrative of the various recorded and extant survivals from the later generations of weavings delineates and compares variations in borders, details and ultimately differences in cartoon origin, ultimately suggesting the above attributions. The present lot, which is almost certainly the lost tapestry illustrated in his article as figure 7 (now lacking borders), serves as a lynchpin in Campbell’s discussion. The subject, The Reunion of Pompey and Cornelia, helps bridge the gap between the various sources, as it links this example with a later generation tapestry of the same subject, now conserved at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, and a cartoon used for the rower’s face, at the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung, Munich. By comparing differences between these three sources, Campbell was able to discern the sources for generations of weavings, highlight the original intent of design which was lost in the second generation weaving and ultimately create a listing of the original narrative scheme.
Only few examples from this series have come to sale in recent years. A 17th century rendition of the Assassination of Pompey was sold Christie's, London, 2 April 1988, lot 215, while a tapestry fragment likely from the generation as the current lot depicting Caesar Breaking down the Door of the Treasury was sold Christie’s, New York, 31 March 2000, lot 189. Additionally, a set of four 17th century tapestries by Marcus de Vos are conserved at Powis Castle, Wales, including an additional example of this subject.