The Triumph of Alexander, A French Classical Tapestry, Aubusson, from The Story of Alexander, after Charles Le Brun last quarter 17th century

woven depicting the triumphal entrance of Alexander the Great into the defeated city of Babylon, in his chariot and led by a guided elephant and with his entourage following behind him, on horseback or on foot, carrying some of the trophies of war, with women and children looking on, musicians playing underneath a golden classical figural sculpture, and a brûhl-parfum burning in the foreground and another on an architectural ledge in the background, the foreground path strewn with flowers, the classical architecture of the city extends across the background plane, including pilasters, columns, ledges, arches and a stupa type construction, all within a four-sided border woven with military trophies, including crosses blue canons with red ribbon, drums, crossed musical instruments with yellow ribbon, eagles, plumed helmets, crossed gauntlets and cuirassier's armour and drums and textiles, on a dark brown ground, within narrow inner and outer orange and brown banded borders

Exhibition Catalogue: Charles Le Brun, Versailles, 1963, pp.80-81, cat. no.29, Le Triomphe d'Alexandre ou L'Entrée d'Alexandre a Babylone.

In 1660 a painting of Alexander and the queens of Persia was executed by Charles Le Brun at Fontainebleau at the express command of Louis XIV and this led to Le Brun's appointment on the recommendation of Colbert as 'premier peintre du Roi'. Shortly after four other paintings of the Story of Alexander were completed which were then used for the famous series of Alexander tapestries first woven at the Gobelins. This initially comprised of five episodes: Alexander and the Queens of Persia; The Triumph of Alexander; The Crossing of the Granicus; the Battle of Arbela; and Alexander and Porus. The original cartoons were exhibited at the Le Brun exhibition in Versailles, 1963, nos.27, 29-32. The Le Brun designs were later adapted and extended by additional subjects by the leading weavers of Brussels. They were also reproduced at the Aubusson manufactory of which the present tapestry is a good example, and some weavings were more simplified than others in their interpretation. A variety of border types were used.  

For Aubusson weavings after the original Le Brun cartoon, with the same attention to detail, see a late 17^th century example, sold at Sotheby's, Monaco, 25^th June 1984, lot 3247, with an entrelacs and floral border (260cm. high, 340cm. wide; 8ft. 6in., 11ft. 2in.).

Chevallier, Les Tapisseries d' Aubusson et de Felletin, pg.71, illustrates a late 17^th century weaving of the same composition, which is slightly reduced to the right side (293cm. high, 415cm. wide; 9ft. 7in., 13ft. 7in.), not showing the burning pyre of the second equestrian figure. It includes a coat-of-arms in the top border to the left of the composition above the column in the background, it has a vine and floral border with broad scrolling ribbon, and the tapestry bears the manufactory and maker's name, DAVBVSSON*REYNAUD, woven underneath the feet of the first figure carrying the vase. In addition another subject from the same series, `Crossing the Granicus', with a similar border to the presently offered tapestry, has some of the same motifs such as the drums, the corner plumes, crossed canons and trumpets, on a brown ground. It is very boldly coloured and the lower terracotta coloured selvedge bears the manufactory and weaver's name, M*R*DE*FELLETIN*VERNE.  An Aubusson mythological tapestry, from The Story of Psyche, has a border which incorporates similar military motifs, such as the crossed blue canons, crossed trumpets and drums, with flowers and foliage, is illustrated in Nicole de Reyniès and Sylvain Laveissière, Isaac Moillon (1614-1673) Un Peintre du Roi à Aubusson, Musée départemental de la tapisserie, Aubusson, 2005, pp.260-161, viii.7a., which is in the museum collection.

For other comparable auction examples of `The Triumph', see Sotheby's, Monaco, 22^nd June 1987, lot 1178, of very similar compostion and dimensions (300cm. high, 470cm. wide; 9ft. 10in., 15ft. 5in.), in a strapwork and medallion border, another very similar weaving to the present example, with a floral border with military trophies (300cm. high, 458cm. wide; 9ft. 10in., 15ft. ), was offered at Christie's, Rome, 22^nd April 1986, and another slightly narrower composition showing only half the musician on the left, sold Sotheby's, London, 30^th November 1990, lot 9, in a floral border with scrolling ribbon (275cm. high, 410cm. wide; 9ft., 13ft. 6in.), which has no column in the background but includes a balconies and figures in the background.

In addition an Aubusson weaving of a double narrative tapestry from The Story of Alexander woven with the `Triumphal Entry of Alexander into Babylon' (to the left), combined with the `Battle of Arbela' (to the right), in four-sided floral frame-pattern border; inscribed centre left Alexandre*le*Grand and centre right P*Le*Gate, (270cm. high, 725cm. wide; 8ft. l0in., 23ft 9in.), was sold from the Vigo Sternberg Collection of European Tapestries, Sotheby's, London, 29^th February 1999, lot 41. The battle of Arbela at which Darius, last king of Persia, was finally defeated by Alexander the Great took place in B.C.331 and led to the surrender of Babylon. A similar composite panel depicting Alexander and the queens of Persia combined with Alexander and the wounded Porus is in the collection of the Duke of Segorbe, Palacio de Tavera, Toledo, but in that piece the two episodes are separated by a column, another finely woven Aubusson version of these combined subjects, without the column was sold Sotheby's, New York, 17^th February 1977, lot 131, and was lacking a border. 

Not quite as dark in reality. Colour good colour match tonally. Light areas less startling and more cream in appearance, and more attractive. In the catalogue photograph the blue across the foreground under the feet and legs is more of a green colour in the tapestry. Stil blue in the sky, as visible in the photograph. Generally good original colour in the tapestry. Old silks. Some repairs in highlight areas of silk. Some minor repairs and some reweaving generally, commensurate with age. See the brown outer selvedge, some of which is later. Some warps showing in areas of brown weave, commensurate with the dye colour (mordant used) and age. Repairs to sky, visible as areas of pale terracotta colour in the photograph. Little marks to faces of some figures across top section of tapestry (visible not as moire lines as appear in the photograph, but as small round marks). Old linen lining. Would recommend new lining and attachment of Velcro across the top edge for hanging in the future. Highly decorative and original border. Good size and composition. Balanced colour.
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