Diana and Apollo and the children of Niobe - Lot 20

Diana and Apollo and the children of Niobe Paris tapestry, probably Raphaël de la Planche's workshop, rue de la Chaise Models (circa 1600) by Toussaint Dubreuil (circa 1561-1602) Part of a History of Diana hanging that included 8 subjects 17th century, circa 1635 H. 2.17 x W. 3.34 m H. 7ft 2 x W. 10ft 11 Iconography: Niobe declared that she was superior to Latona, who had only had two children, whereas she, Niobe, had had several (seven daughters and seven sons). Latona, offended, asked her two children (Apollo and Diana) to avenge her, which they did, using their bows and arrows against Niobe's children. It is this scene that is superbly depicted in the present tapestry. Tapestry subjects : Latone's Childbirth, The Peasants of Lycia Turned into Frogs, The Assembly of the Gods, The Sacrifice to Latone, Diana and Apollo and the Children of Niobe, Diana Shoots an Arrow at Orion, The Death of Chioné, Diana and Britomatis, Diana Between the Giants, Diana with her Greyhounds Related tapestries: The History of Diana tapestry was a great success in its day. Quoted in Vittet 2010 (op. cit. pp. 56-57 and pp. 59-63) Two complete suites were woven in gold for Henri IV, both of which have since disappeared. Another eight-piece hanging, also woven in gold, formed part of Richelieu's collection and was bequeathed by him to Louis XIII; it is preserved at the Mobilier National. Several hangings are cited in Denis 1996 (op.cit. pp 124-141) - Hanging I (five pieces) conserved in 1996 at Château de Chambord - Hanging II (one piece Diane et Apollon et les enfants de Niobé) - tapestry at Hôtel de Sully (CHM/CMN) in 1996 - gold and silver threads - Tapestry III with the arms of Dominique Séguier, bishop of Auxerre, conserved in 1996 at Chambord (Sommer Foundation); three other tapestries with the arms of Monseigneur Séguier passed through the art market between 1954 and 1976. - Patrimonio Nacional tapestry: eight pieces with the arms of Osorio y Colonna, woven for Don Pedro Alvarez de Toledo (see also Junquerra de Vega, 1986 op. cit. Vol. II, pp. 6-14). - Tapestry with Bourbon and Savoy-Carignan arms; seven tapestries survive: five in Turin and two in Oxford. - Tapestries in a private collection in Geneva. Also worth mentioning: - A hanging of six tapestries at Holyroodhouse Castle in Scotland (Royal Collection) (Swain 1988, op. cit., pp. 50-55). - A tapestry with the coat of arms of the Valbelle family (Diane entre les géants) in a private collection in France. Almost all known editions were woven in the Faubourg St Marcel workshops, with wide, highly decorative borders in several patterns; these tapestries can reach 4.00 m, and more, in height, however... The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte preserves a set of five tapestries attributed to the workshop of Raphaël de la Planche, therefore later, with borders after Simon Vouet or Jean Cotelle, and on a smaller scale. These are probably the tapestries reproduced in figs. 7 and 18 in Denis 1996, which at that time were listed in an unknown location? Note that Raphaël de la Planche's after-death inventory mentions a series of 5 drawings on the Histoire de Diane, Fenaille, 1923. The Histoire de Diane tapestry was a great success in the first third of the 17th century. Several very large tapestries depicting Diana and Apollo and the children of Niobe survive, but are kept in museums and institutions and do not appear on the art market. The subject is rather cruel, but the composition is superb, and we quote Isabelle Denis' text from the 1996 catalog, p. 140 (op. cit): This is one of the most ambitious and spectacular compositions of the hanging, in which Dubreuil's "michelangélisme" is clearly perceptible... Through the reference to Antiquity, Dubreuil's dual quest for plastic affirmation and expression of the passions is evident... Materials - Condition : Woven in wool and silk (warp in wool, weft in wool and silk), the tapestry retains beautiful, vivid colors. Good condition, maintenance restorations. Missing border, but the composition is complete, as can be judged from other existing tapestries. Provenance : - French private collection