A Franco/Flemish pastoral landscape tapestry, after the series Les Amusements de la Campagne 18th century

woven depicting a figural group with young ladies reading and playing an instrument, a young man dancing and two men selling potions contained in a basket and box, within a four-sided scrolling floral and foliate border on a walnut coloured ground

Measurements 532cm wide across the top, 532cm. across the bottom, 321cm high left side, 320cm high right side, and 324cm high down the centre; Colours are generally faded overall; however overall the colours are light and crisp and attractive in reality. Appearance in reality is more muted and harmonious and not as strident and contrasting as in the photograph. For example the border is a hazelnut brown in reality and is not as dark as in the photograph. This tapestry is lined and has Velcro attached across the top for hanging purposes. Top left border cut and joined. There are scattered small repairs, especially in the lower left corner and in the area of woodland on the far right, where a reweave in the grass is visible as a light brown area to the right of the flowering plant and to the left of the border, and just above the small plants, and three similar areas visible across the trunks of the three trees far right side. There is a repaired horizontal split through the foliage of trees in top left corner (extends from border to centre of the dark foliage). There are some weaknesses within the areas of light highlights, for example to the light clothing and in some areas of sky. For example there are some light areas are later repair (clouds centre of sky, centre of background), and others are where weaknesses and inner lining is visible (white in sky between trees centre of right side). There is a horizontal fold line and shadow visible in the photograph which is not permanent. This is a decorative tapestry with an attractive subject matter. If you would like extra images please ask the department on 020 7293 5533 or Gina.Tammaro@sothebys.com
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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 subject of the present weaving is based on the series 'Les Amusements de la Campagne', woven in Aubusson, circa 1770, and a tapestry entitled 'Le Charlatan', which has the same central figural arrangement, without the standing young man, and in a French style frame pattern border, see H. Göbel, Die Wandteppiche, 1928, Part II, Vol.i, no.285.