A French Mythological Classical Tapestry, Aubusson, after Isaac Moillon 17th century

woven with classical figures in a landscape setting, depicting the goddess Athene (Minerva), with a shield with her attribute of the owl, and a weaver seated at a loom under the shade of a textile canopy, with trees beyond and a basket of wool in the foreground, within a four-sided floral border with roses and tulips, against a dark brown ground

Overall measurements: 287cm. up the left side, 286cm. up the right side, 291cm along the top and 292cm along the bottom. There is a horizontal split across the border in the lower part of the left border and upper part of right border. There are some small splits and repairs in places. Areas of brown have been repaired, visible as the terracotta colour. Stable condition. Professionally lined. Recommend Velcro should be added to the top edge for hanging purposes in the future.
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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."

Athena, identified by the symbol of the owl upon her shield, was the goddess of weaving and craft in in ancient Greek religion and mythology. This scene is possibly related to the Roman fable of Arachne, a weaving student of Athena, whose claims of her superior skill angered the goddess into transforming Arachne into a spider. For an early composition showing Athena in a similar pose, standing on the right, dressed in armour and gesturing towards Arachne, see an etching by Antonio Tempesta of 1606 (British Museum, X,3.247), from the series Metamorphoseon sive transformationum.

Nicole de Reynies and Sylvain Laveissiere, Isaac Moillon (1614-1673), un peintre du roi a Aubusson, Aubusson, 2015, p. 195, illustrates a tapestry from the series of 'The History of Odysseus (Ulysses)', which includes three female figures, posssilby including Helen of Troy, at a loom and basket of wool in the foreground of a banqueting scene, which is the reverse of the oil on canvas attributed to Isaac Moillon, (fig. III.6. a.). For a classical tapestry, from 'The Story of Dido', with a similar floral border, with corner vases, see Nicole de Reynies, op.cit., p.218.