Tapestry #21570



The Abduction of Helen by Paris, from a Trojan War Series

Size: 9’x 9’2”

Marche, Central France

Mid 16^th century



Structure:

            Warp:             wool, tan, natural, Z-2-S;

            Weft:  silk, Z-3; only in small highlights.

Slit tapestry weave.

No original edges.



Inscriptions:

1. Cartouche in upper border in French; capital letters:

Paris ravit Helen

Et Embarca le

tresors.

            Translation:

                        Paris ravishes [takes] Helen

                        And embarks with

                        the [Greek] treasures.

            With Figures:

2. Paris


3. Helen

Description:

            On the left of the square field are the ships of the Trojan fleet, each single masted with oars: three above and a larger vessel below.  There are three scenes of abduction of Greek women by the Trojans.  Paris carries off Helen and is placing her in the large boat with the assistance of a Trojan sailor.  Paris threatens with a short sword a Greek (Menelauz?) trying to intervene. 

Two other armored Trojans carry off Greek women in the lower half of the field.  In the top right corner, a Trojan warrior and a small boy are on the way to the boats hefting Greek goldwork.  The sea is agitated – reflecting the chaos of the event – and colorfully wavy.  A summary landscape occupies the top of the picture.

            The ladies all display finely detailed quasi-classical aristocratic profiles, with elaborate coiffures or headgear, characteristic of French styles of the 2^nd half of the 16^th century.  The Trojans wear elaborate fanciful helmets and other armor elements including grotesque mask pauldrons.

              The main border intrudes erratically into the plain guards, an unusual feature of this era and area.  The decoration of the main border include classical armor trophies, grotesque masks, half-length figured in late 16^th century garb, crossed pistols, groups of military musical instruments and a fill of stylized vegetal elements.  The round butts and long barrels of the pistols are consonant with a mid 16^th century date.  The execution of the leaves and fruits fall between an Aristoloche (large leaf verdure) of the 2^nd half of the 16^th century (Chevalier, p. 27) and a Biblical Marche tapestry of the early 2^nd quarter of the 17^th century (Chevalier, p.40).  Hence, a mid 16^th century date is acceptable.

            The inscription cartouche is offset, but there seems to be no loss on the right.  The diagonal cut in the top right border stops abruptly and there are continuous warps in what could be a cut along the right inner border.

            The figures are lively and extravagantly active in their poses.  The women seem more composed than the men.  The male figures may be compared with, but are inferior to, those in a five-part hunting series (ex-Chevalier) from the end of the 16^th century.  The pistols wielded by the hunters are particularly close to those in the upper-border here.  The lively, active figures are similar.

            This panel is from an otherwise unknown Trojan War series from the Marche area.  Presumably there were other pieces in the set, but no others are known.  Neither Chevalier nor Wergert mention any Trojan War series or individual tapestries.  This is the only early Marche tapestry of a classical/mythological subject so far recorded.  It is an important addition to the relatively small corpus of figural 16^th century Marche pieces.  The colors are still good and the range of blues is particularly attractive.

            Marche tapestries tend to be relatively small in size in this period and the 20’ plus examples of Brussels or later Gobelins are lacking.  The Marche workshops were small, family based operations, employing flat looms (low warp) and often traveled for on-the-spot set-ups for their local clientele of petty nobility, country squires, and other citizens of moderate means.  The patron is unknown, but may have traced an apocryphal Trojan ancestry.  The workshop is similarly unknown.  Marche weavers did not often sign the plain outer borders of their tapestries, and in this case that strip is lacking.



For further information:

1. Cevalier, Chevalier and Bertrand, les Tapisseries d’Aubusson et de Fellefin, 1457-1791, Paris.


2. Weigert, R.A., French Tapestry, London, 1956.