Entry of Alexander into Babylon. Le Brun, Charles (French, 1619-1690) (author of design) [painter] Hecke, Jan Frans van den (Flemish, 1660-1695) (workshop) [weaver] c. 1675-1700 Tapestry Dimensions: H 13'4" x W 24'4" Tapestry Materials/Techniques: unknown Culture: Flemish Weaving Center: Brussels Ownership History: French & Co. received from Mrs. David S. Goldhirsch, invoiced 1/2/1940; returned 3/30/1955. Inscriptions: City mark on lower guard, right Inscriptions: Inscription in upper border cartouche, in center: ALEXANDER BABILONEM / SIBI DEDITAM TRIVMPHALI / CVRRV SVBLIMIS INTER / CIVIVM ACC
Entry of Alexander into Babylon. Le Brun, Charles (French, 1619-1690) (author of design) [painter] Hecke, Jan Frans van den (Flemish, 1660-1695) (workshop) [weaver] c. 1675-1700 Tapestry Dimensions: H 13'4" x W 24'4" Tapestry Materials/Techniques: unknown Culture: Flemish Weaving Center: Brussels Ownership History: French & Co. received from Mrs. David S. Goldhirsch, invoiced 1/2/1940; returned 3/30/1955. Inscriptions: City mark on lower guard, right Inscriptions: Inscription in upper border cartouche, in center: ALEXANDER BABILONEM / SIBI DEDITAM TRIVMPHALI / CVRRV SVBLIMIS INTER / CIVIVM ACCLAMATIONES ET / CONCENTVS INGREDITVR Inscriptions: Woven signature in lower guard, right: IOANES FRANCISCVS VAN DEN HECKE Alexander triumphantly enters Babylon in his chariot drawn by elephant (center, middle ground); Alexander points down to man on horse, Governor of Babylon, who directs 2 men carrying large vase (center, foreground); large statue of Queen Semiramis (L, foreground); portico & buildings (L, background) (L, UPR & R BRD) spiraling garland of flowers with large-leaf foliage interspersed; (UPR BRD), inscription in cartouche; (LWR BRD) small foliage motif with bead-&-reel molding (outer) A tapestry of the "Wounded King Porus brought before Alexander" in the Musées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire at Brussels (Ref. 8665) has the same border design but apparently not the weaver's signature. The inscription in the top border of that piece corresponds exactly (as the right-half of the field also does) to the engraving, after Le Brun's painting, by Sebastian Le Clerc; & this tapestry may also have been designed after the "Triumph" in Le Clerc's series. The same border also appears on a set of 6 "Alexander" tapestries in the Castle of Skokloster [Skoklosters Slott], Stockholm, signed by van den Hecke, as in this piece. French & Co. stock sheet in archive, 19641 Versailles, Charles Le Brun (1963), 77-95, nos. 29-32 Skoklosters slott Tapeter (1986), 22-24, Related Works: C
Size: 11212px × 6543px
Photo credit: © piemags/GB24 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords:
