A Flemish Verdure tapestry, probably Lille, early 18th century and later

Sotheby's, London, 28 October 2004, lot 390.

I. De Meuter, Tapisseries d'Audenarde du XVI au XVIII Siècle , 1999, pp. 209 & 210 illustrates tapestries with formal gardens, fountains and exotic birds, attributed to Oudenaarde, early 18th century, from the Maastricht town Hall, and Guy Delmarcel, Flemish Tapestries, London, 1999, illustrates the same tapestry, and an example of a Oudenaarde Mythological tapestry with use of a fountain and formal gardens. H. Gobel, Die Wandteppiche , 1923-1934, Part I, Vol.ii, nos. 466 & 467, illustrates two examples of Verdure Landscape tapestries, both with formal gardens and hidden classical building and large flowering plants, one with a fountain and two wading birds, the other with a lake and fox chasing a mallard, both attributed to the Lille workshop of the Brussels weaver Willem Werniers and dated 1720. Delmarcel, op.cit., pp.255, 259-260 illustrates Antwerp examples of landscape tapestries which include elements such as formal gardens and fountains and birds, which were backgrounds to pastoral and mythological tapestries at the beginning of the 17th century, and found in many Flemish tapestries.