‘The Smithy’, A Flemish ‘Teniers’ pastoral tapestry, Brussels, early 18th century, after David II Teniers, Brussels, Urbanus and Daniel Leyniers workshop, after cartoons by Jan van Orley and Augustin Coppens

Generally known as the ‘Teniers’ Tapestries, the extensive series were inspired by the painting of David II Teniers (1610-1690) and depict everyday scenes of country life and commercial activities. Although inspired by Teniers as a subject, the tapestries compositions relate directly to the paintings, except for that of the peasant festivals (The Kermesse). The tapestry interpretations of the subject matter were immensely popular commissions from the late 17th century through to the middle of the 18th century. They were woven by all the leading Brussels workshops, and then with lesser distinction in design and quality, by other tapestry centres, such as Lille, Oudenaarde, Beauvais, Madrid and London. The original designs were reproduced and altered and other subjects were added over time. 

The original set from the important Brussels workshop of the weavers, Jasper van der Borght (d.1742) and Jerome le Clerc (d.1742), included the subjects of The Kermesse, The Fish Quay, The Game of Nine-Pins, The Gypsy Fortune Teller, Return from the Harvest, Milking Scene, Winter Scene (Skating and Pig-killing), Sportsmen Resting and Summer (pastoral scene). Their clients were German and Austrian princes and other European aristocrats. The successive important Brussels workshop of Urbanus (1674-1747) and his son Daniel III Leyniers (1705-1770), were involved with weaving the additional subjects of The Smithy (a version offered here) and The Woodcutters (see a version of this subject in this auction), which were added to the third series of cartoons attributed to Jacob van Helmont (1683-1726), and Jan Van Orley (1665-1735) and with the addition of sophisticated colour perspectives of the landscapes by Augustin Coppens (1668-1740). The Brussels neo-Baroque style was epitomised by the work of Jan van Orley and Augustin Coppens. Their collaboration over the Teniers series and that of The Adventures of Don Quixote, of which there is a weaving in this auction (see lot) resulted in series that were amongst the most successful of the 18th century. 

RELATED LITERATURE

Delmarcel, Guy, Flemish Tapestry, London, 1999, Brussels tapestries in the eighteenth century, pp.305-331 and for comprehensive discussion of the ‘Teniers’ tapestries, pp.352-361;

Marillier, H.C., Handbook to the Teniers Tapestries, London, 1932, p.32., plate. 38, illustrates a slightly wider version of this subject, signed V.L., in a similar border, owned by Lionel Harris. Other version are noted as lot 576, Somzee sale, and one of a set of five Leyniers pieces, sold at Christie’s, London, 10 May 1900;

Campbell, Thomas P, Tapestry in the Baroque: Threads of Splendour, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Yale University Press, New Haven, Flemish Production, Koenraad Brosens, pp.441-453.