Judgement of Paris, A Flemish Classical Mythological Tapestry, Brussels or Lille, circa 1700

Judgement of Paris, A Flemish Classical Mythological Tapestry, Brussels or Lille,

circa 1700

woven with a centralised group including Paris, Trojan prince and son of Priam, King of Troy, depicted as a shepherd judging a beauty contest between the three goddesses, Juno, shown standing next to her attribute of the peacock, Venus, accompanied by Cupid, and Minerva, in armour and helmet and holding a shield emblazoned with the Gorgon's head (Hyginus 92: Lucian, Dialogues of the Gods, 20), set in a woodland clearing, with a formalised garden in the background with elaborate waterfalls, and buildings beyond, in a four-sided elaborate border with pendant floral sprays, interspersed with trophies of love, musical instruments, hanging incense burners, lambrequin consoles, quivers, writing implements, the bottom corners with monkeys playing violins, the top corners with parrots, on tobacco ground, with a later tan selvedge

approximately 310cm high, 470cm wide; 10ft. 2in., 15ft. 5in.