The Story of Scipio A narrative metal-thread tapestry, from the Deeds of Scipio, with the arms of the Marqués de Paracena, Brussels, workshop of Hendrix Reydams I, after cartoons by Guilio Romano circa 1660

depicting Scipio and Hasdrubal at supper with Syphax, surrounded by further figures and attendants, with a extravagantly laid table and display of silver ware and luxurious green and gold damask in the background, flanked by marble walls mounted with roundels bearing figure heads, the foreground with a container of food and a sleeping dog, in an elaborate four-sided border with bow tied floral swags, martial and musical trophies and six putti against floral grounds, the top border with a central medallion enclosing the infant Ganymede carried away by an eagle (Renaissance Humanists associated this with the progress of the human soul towards God), the lower border with the arms of the Marqués de Paracena and motto Nisi Dom(inus) aedificarit domum in vanum laborarvnt qvi aedificant eam (Psalms, 127:1 - Except that the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it) supported by winged putti, with a further inner columnar husk border and outer scrolling stylised anthemion gold and blue border, metal thread applied and woven to details

Scipio Africanus Major was responsible with his victories in Spain and North Africa for the end of the second Punic War. Scipio owes his place in Renaissance literature and art to the accolades of the Italian poet Petrarch (1304-1374). Having gained control of Spain, Scipio planned the invasion of Africa and he needed to enlist local allies. Scipio had sent his trusted friend Laelius to the King of the Western Numidians, Syphax, who was once again considering revolt against the Carthaginians. Syphax however, refused to ratify any treaty except with Scipio, so Scipio sailed at risk to meet with Syphax. It is reported that he arrived at the Numidian harbour at exactly the same time as Hadsrubal, having fled from Spain and anchored on his way back to Carthage. However, Scipio's ship managed to make harbour before Hadsrubal's seven triremes could make out to intercept them. In a neutral harbour, Hadsrubal dare not act against the Romans. Syphax, was honoured to hosting two such important personages and both were now invited to dine with him, which is the scene represented in this tapestry (Livy: Books XXVIIII).

The Marqués de Paracena. Don Luis Francisco de Benavides Carrillo de Toledo, 5th Marqués de Fromista and Marqués de Paracena, was Governor of the Spanish Netherlands 1659-1664. Arms: Quarterly: bt and 4th Benavides, 2nd and 3rd Carrillo, over all on an escutcheon of pretence Toledo. The cross behind the shield indicates that the bearer of the arms was a Knight of the Military Order of Santiago, founded circa 1160 to fight the Moor invasion.

Reydams was a Brussels weaving family, active from 1629 to 1719. Hendrik I was very accomplished in the field, becoming a member of the craft in 1629, privileged in 1640, co-founder of the Tapissierspand in 1657 and Dean of the craft in 1658. He died in 1669. His son Hendrik II took over the workshop, on his fathers retirement, and married a member of the weaving and dying family Leyniers. The signatures of Hendrik I and Hendrik II were difficult to distinguish until 1712, when Hendrik II collaborated with the Leyniers workshops and both signatures were used and his father who by this time was no longer alive.

Hendrik I Reydams collaborated with the workshops of Leyniers, Van Leefdael and Van der Strecken, on the series of the History of Scipio, after Giulio Romano, (Venice, Vienna and Lausanne, Canton de Vaud, Toms Collection). The Continence of Scipio, from the Brussels workshop of Gerard van der Strecken, after Giulio Romano, 1660-1664, from the Toms Collection is illustrated in Guy Delmarcel, Flemish Tapestries, London, 1999, pp.242-243. It has a very similar Baroque border including the top cartouche and putti supporting the same coat-of-arms, and with an identical inner and outer border. See also Nello Forti Grazzini, Il Patrimonio artistico del Quirinale, 18994, Vol. I, pp.206-245 for comprehensive cataloguing of The Story of Scipio Tapestries in their collection, involving Leefdael, Strecken from designs by Romano and Pappi, see in particular a comparable scene, illustrated on pg. 213, of The Banquet of Scipio, by van der Strecken, with the same format of seated figures at a circular table, with foreground dog and background display of silver and textiles and therefore wealth. See Fig. 1, for a fresco depicting a similar arrangement of gilt-metal with a `mille fleurs' tapestry backdrop, dating from 1480, in the Roman style of Melozzo da Forli (Palazzo Altemps, courtesy of the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma).

Giulio Romano, one of Raphael's prodigies, had great influence on tapestries. Whilst working for the court of Gonzaga in Mantua, nine sets can be attributed to him and included were the extremely successful set of The Deeds and the Triumphs of Scipio. King Francis I of France or Emperor Charles V (some speculation) were involved in the commissioning of a set of twenty-three pieces and this set was completed by Romano in 1535 and given to a Brussels workshop, it later disappeared in the French Revolution, though the compositions are known through the design drawings, including Romano's `petit patron'. The Deeds of Scipio, were largely designed by Gian Francesco Penni, the Triumphs by Romano. The Deeds set a new precedent with the dramatic design and attention to detail. Federico Gonzaga had a set designed of The Triumphs, by his court painter Romano, based on his and Penni's earlier set of the Deeds. A set of seven of the new edition were bought by Mary of Hungary in 1544, now in Madrid, and in the Academia Belgica in Rome, once owned by Princess Caraman-Chimay, which have all lost their borders (See Delmarcel, ibid, pp.9-93).

D'Astier discusses a set called `La Tenture de Paracena', in La Belle Tapisserye du Roy et les Tentures de Scipion l'Africain, Paris, 1907. p.178, and illustrates (Pl.XXXIX) another episode from the same set. According to D'Astier several pieces from the set together with overdoors and portières had been purchased by a M. Tulping, antiquaire, of Brussels, who had passed them to Mr Fernand Schutz of Paris, who in turn had sold them to Lord Iveagh. D'Astier noted that there appeared to have been seven pieces in the set, one of which was signed G.V.D.Strecken, but that only three of the set were known to him. This offered tapestry is illustrated as the colour frontispiece to the Moss Harris catalogue,– A Catalogue and Index of Furniture and Works of Decorative, Art, Part I, London, unfortunately undated but circa 1930. The catalogue describes the tapestry as `about 1629' whereas the date of manufacture is confirmed as circa 1660 by the Marqués appointment as Governor. The catalogue also calls it "The Feast of Scipio" which is actually a following episode in the series. This extensive series known as La Tenture du Grand Scipion after Guilio Romano was divided into two parts: the first of thirteen episodes known as the Deeds of Scipio and the second of nine pieces known as the Triumphs of Scipio. Four panels of the Triumph of Scipio, were sold in the Salomon Sale, New York, April 1923.

W.G. Thomson, A History of Tapestry, London 1973, pg.395, cites The Feast of Scipio, after the Battle of Asculum, (formerly from the Berwick and Alva Collection), lent to the Franco-British Exhibition of Textiles in 1921 by M. Jumelle, the initials H.R. woven in the selvedge. He goes on to describe the panel as follows: - `It shows the generals seated at a table, with numerous attendants, in broad borders, where in the top, an amorini is astride a Roman eagle among swags of flowers and fruit, with ribbons; and on both sides amorini, emblematic of music, autumn, the seasons and the reapers, play among the fruit and attributes of warriors, and having in the lower border a shield with inscription displayed.’ The panels showing Scipio and Masanissa and Scipio’s Triumph, have his name woven in the pieces. See Heinrich Göbel, Tapestries of the Lowlands, 1974, fig. 287, for an illustration of The Deeds of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, The Banquet, attributed to Hendrik Reydams, circa 1663, from the österreichishcher Staatsbesitz, Vienna, of similar conception generally. See Göbel, opcit, fig. 283, for a later Story of Scipio, depicting Sophonisba and Syphax, dated 1650 and attributed to Reydams (München, Bayrischer Staatsbesitz). For reference see Nello Forti Grazzini, opcit. pp.273-280, for contemporary Brussels Allegorical tapestries, involving Leefdael and Strecken and use a similar combination in the borders of putti, bows, fruit and floral swags, columnar inner borders and armorials.

Sotheby's, Monaco, 14th June, 1891, lot 101B, for a similar tapestry, one of a set of six by Everaert Leyniers and Hendrik Reydams, which carried a similar border with an inscribed cartouche in the top border instead of Ganymede and the eagle as in the present piece. This read Scipio et Masanissa (sic) amicitiam ineunt et mensae accumbunt. A variant composition of the same episode from the Palazzo Michiel, Venice, carried the same label, illustrated d'Astier (Pl.X) which d`Astier describes as `une appelation inexacte' insisting that the subject is Scipio and Hasdrubal rather than Masanissa.