'July', An English tapestry, from the series of the Months, London circa 1700, workshop of Stephen de May

woven with a harvesting scene, depicting three seated harvesters enjoying a midday break in the foreground under the shade of a tree, with a standing male looking on, the distance with farm buildings and workers in the fields, within a four-sided border with floral swags and blue ribbon tied bows, on a tobacco ground, the top border centred with the Russell family coat-of-arms, the brown selvedge woven in yellow with weaver's initials S.D.M; (four corners cut and joined)

Sotheby's, London, 19 May 1995, Lot 7, Collection of Viscount Astor.

This tapestry is professionally lined, with natural linen, and with turn over along lower edge. Colours are defined and crisp in reality but not as strong as in the catalogue/or internet photograph. Tonally correct, though lighter appearance in reality and there is an attractive variety of colours in this tapestry. In addition the blue and yellow ripple effect visible across the catalogue/internet image of the tapestry, see the sky for example, is a result of printing and called `moray effect', and is not the colour of the tapestry. Good colour overall, including flesh tones and pink to cheeks. Seated male, bottom left, with his back to us, has repaired red highlight around his face for definition. It has a largely original brown selvedge with old repairs, visible as areas of different colour, sections and small areas. This tapestry has been professionally restored. There are areas of new and old repairs, for example some old repairs to the light areas of weave, which is commensurate with age. The sky and light highlight areas in clothes and border flowers have some repairs. There are some minor horizontal splits, at colour changes, commensurate with age. Borders cut and joined in all corners. Shaped cuts, around the leaves and fruits. Additional vertical cut in lower border to right of initials SDM and working up the left side of the blue bow. It is a very decorative tapestry of good size, balanced composition and colour, of charming subject matter and within a striking border.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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."

Previously sold at Christies, London, 17th March, 1921, lot 143; where noted as from a series of five panels, March, May and July (most probably March, April and May, as the identification of the months according to the portrayed activity has always been somewhat arbitrary) which were grouped together and divided by ivy-wreathed pillars, formerly in the possession of Viscount Astor.

The present tapestry appears to have been one of the five. The triple panel was subsequently divided into three when offered at the Boasberg sale, New York, in 1937; the central section with the arms of Russell depicting a milking scene (April) was sold Sotheby's Florence, 21st March, 1970, and more recently at Bonham's, Edinburgh, 13^th September 2007, with the provenance of (probably) Wriothesley Russell, 2^nd Duke of Bedford (1680-1711) and (probably) Viscount Astor, Hever Castle, Kent.  It had the same compositional border and was also signed with the weaver's initials, S.D.M. in the lower selvedge. Stephen de May is considered to have been firmly established in 1700, and was executing and altering large tapestries for various clients  and worked on commissions for Lord Nottingham at Burley-on-the-Hill.

A similar and contemporary tapestry screen depicting four of the Months with the arms of Sir Samuel Dashwood, Lord Mayor of London in 1702, is at Berkeley Castle and a double panel with the same arms was exhibited Vigo-Stemberg Galleries - 400 Years of English Tapestry, London, 1971, no.16, as Autumn. The Melbury Months, are a set of Twelve English Tapestries, woven in London, late 17^th century, depicting the Months of the Year represented by seasonal activities, and so-called through their long association with Melbury House, Dorset, seat of the Earls of Ilchester. The Melbury Months would originally have been woven with borders which were removed in order to fit the panelling of the Billiard Room. The `Melbury Months', were sold at The Vigo-Sternberg Collection, Sotheby's London, 29<sup>th</sup> February 1996, lots 25-36, and previously illustrated in Vigo-Sternberg Galleries -Four Hundred Years of English Tapestries, nos.4-15 'The Twelve Months'. The panel depicting July-Hay Making, from this series, was sold as lot 31. It shows a very similar composition to the offered tapestry panel, depicting the group of three seated figures and same grouping of figures in the distant fields. For discussion and illustration of the English `Months tapestries' and Melbury Months, see H. C. Marillier, English Tapestries of the Eighteenth Century, London, Medici Society, 1930, pp-64-67, pl.21-23.