A Flemish Mythological Metamorphoses Tapestry, Brussels, workshop of Marcus De Vos, after Louis van Schoor and Pieter Spierincx, from the Story of Vertumnus and Pomona circa 1670

woven depicting Vertumnus in disguise as an elderly woman before Pomona, within a four-sided floral and fruting ribbon-tied border

Auction Hôtel des Ventes S.C., Brussels, 8-9th November 1988, lot 544 (two other pieces from the series were sold in this auction and are in a Belgian Private Collection).

This tapestry has a cotton lining and Velcro attached across the top for hanging purposes. Finely woven with some charming detailing, especially to the background foliage. The top selvedge is later, and the border detailing has been cut out and applied to the top of the later banded selvedge. This has also occured along the lower edge, as visible in the photograph. There are repairs and reweave to the border and the main field. For example to the top left and right corners of the borders, and other sections of the borders, and to the pale blue robe section supported by the plinth, on the right of the seated figure of Pomona, and to section of the inner border, and section of the sky. This tapestry is in stable condition, of versatile size, balanced colour and composition and from a wonderful classical metamorphoses series.
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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."

The Story of Vertumnus and Pomona is told in Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book XIV:654-698). Pomona, the goddess of fruitful abundance, and her attribute is the pruning knife. She is recorded to have scorned the love of the woodland gods Silvanus and Picus, and eventually marries Vertumnus, after he has pursued her in many guises, including that of a pruner, harvester, reaper, farmer, gardener, warrior, fisherman and as an old woman, before he finally reveals his true identity and embraces Pomona.

Marcus de Vos, Brussels workshop, active circa 1655, privileged and became Dean of the Brussels weaver's guild in 1663 and Dean again in 1665. He purchased tapestries from the Estate of François van den Hecke, and as a result was involved with the prolific production of ten different series (which bear his name). On his death in 1697, his son Judocus continued overseeing the successful output of the workshop.

The present panel is from a series designed with figures in the style of Louis Van Schoor (active 1664-1697), and landscapes after Pieter Spierincx. A comparable panel of the present subject, with a slightly different border and bearing the Brussels city mark and signed M.De Vos, is in the Royal Palace Stockholm, and five other tapestries of this set are in the Royal Swedish Collection, see John Boettiger, Svenska Statens samling af väfda tapeter, Stockholm, 1986-1988, Vol. 3, pp.49-50.