A Flemish Verdure Landscape Tapestry, Brussels, Workshop of Erasmus III de Pannemaker circa 1650-1675

woven with landscape setting with two foxes and captured bird, within a four-sided floral border, the top border with exuberant fruiting and floral swag; later right hand border

Exhibition Catalogue La Fôret de Soignes. Art et histoire du début au XVIIIe siècle, Watermael-Boitsfort (Brussels), Europalia Oesterreich, 1st October - 1st November 1987, nr. 108.

This tapestry is lined, and has old Velcro attached across the top for hanging purposes. The right hand side border is later reweaving, evident due to difference in colour. The lower border has sections of tapestry lacking in the central section, and replaced with polychrome needlework sections, and there are some areas of loss, with bright green cotton background, visible in the photograph. There are areas of repair and reweaving, commensurate with age. Top left corner of border has repairs. Some areas of oxidised browns, showing flecks of white warp threads, commensurate with brown colour and age of dye. There are some vertical sewn consolidation stitches in small areas, holding exposed warp threads together, for example to area in top left corner (to browns) and to area of light highlight mounds in bottom right corner of woodland. Repairs to browns in areas of the foxes, central foreground. This is a decorative landscape tapestry, of versatile size and from well known Brussels workshop.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Despite the lack of a weaver's signature this piece is almost certainly from the Brussels workshop of Erasmus III de Pannemaker. An identical border type and the Brussels city mark and weaver's initials E.De P.I is found on a tapestry depicting a `Boar Hunt', (formerly from the Gallery Mikaeloff, Strasbourg, 1980). The initials on this cited tapestry stand for Erasmus III de Pannemaker, with the woven `I' being for Junior and for this weaver's family for the third III.  This family member was born 1627 and was active from 1644 to 1681. With his brother Frans (1630-1700) he is a descendant of the famous family member Willem de Pannemaker, the major 16th century weaver of tapestries owned by various Kings of Europe including commissions for the Emperor Charles V and King Philip II of Spain.  For the compositions of the landscape of this panel it is worth considering the works of the landscape artists, Jacques d'Arthois and Denys van Alsloot.