A French Mythological Tapestry, Paris, Faubourg Saint Germain, workshop of de la Planche, after Michel Corneille, from the series The Story of Daphne and Apollo (Ovid’s Metamorphoses) second half 17th century

composite tapestry showing scenes from two separate designs from the series, `Daphne transformed into laurel', and `Apollo demanding the arrows of love from Cupid', lacking border; joined up the centre

Tapestry has been professionally lined in the past and had hoops attached across the top which was the procedure in the past. It is recommended that Velcro is attached instead of the hoops, for hanging purposes in the future. There is an irregular vertical join up the centre of the tapestry, where two panels have been joined. Visible in the photograph (see terracotta coloured line running up through the foreground plant). Othewise join only noticeable on close inspection. Some of areas of brown have oxidised (showing specks of white foundation), which is commensurate with the mordants used in this dye colour, and some areas have been repaired. There are some small repairs and reweaves, to different areas and in different colours, especially within the brown areas. Some small repairs in facial features of some, and others with original woven subtlety. Some discolouration and stabilisation to the sky. In stable and good condition generally. Despite the join the composition is balanced. Variety of colours used. Finely drawn and woven, with charming details, from evocative series.
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Michel Corneille (1601 – 1644) provided designs for this series of Daphné tapestries, circa 1650, for which there were five panels in the series, woven on various occasions, with choice of up to seven border designs, and at different standards of weaving. They were woven at the de la Planche workshop, or Raphael and his son and successor Sébastien-François. Cartoons for the series are noted in the inventory taken by Philippe de Champaigne of the workshop, on the death of Raphael (27^th September 1661): `Cinq autres pieces, aussi peintes en huile et sur toile… représentans L’Histoire de Daphné, et prises ensemble 50 livres.’

The tapestry is a composite of two tapestry panels from the series of The Story of Daphne. The left section of the present tapestry is from the left hand side half of the original composition of Daphne transformed into laurel.  Daphne is not present in this tapestry, Apollo is on the right, and the river god, Peneus, her father is depicted on the left of the present panel. The section missing from the right would have been of the laurel tree, Daphne, and her three concerned attendants. The right hand side of the present tapestry is from the narrower composition of panel depicting Apollo demanding the arrows of love from Cupid.

For details of a comparable weaving of the series, see Lisses et Délices Chefs-d’oevre de la tapisserie de Henri IV à Louis XIV, Exhibition Catalogue, 7^th September 1995 – 5^th January 1996, Château de Chambord, Caisse Nationale des Monuments historiques et des sites, Paris, 1996, Chp. Daphné (Château de Châteaudun), Nicole de Reynies pp.251-257, with examples of the complete panels from which the present tapestry derives.

 

For further discussion of the artist and five tapestry series that Michel Corneille was involved with, see Emmanuel Coquery, Michel Corneille (1603-1664) Un Peintre du Roi au temps de Mazarin, Exhibition Catalogue, Musée des Beaux-Arts d’Orléans, 8^th April – 9^th July 2006, Somogy Editions, Paris, 2006, Histoire de Daphné, Cat. T5., pp.122-126, pls.T5.1.c and T54.