'VULCAN AND VENUS', A LOUIS XV MYTHOLOGICAL TAPESTRY, PARIS, BEAUVAIS MANUFACTORY, FROM SERIES THE LOVES OF THE GODS, AFTER DESIGNS BY FRANÇOIS BOUCHER, WOVEN UNDER THE DIRECTION OF JEAN BAPTISTE OUDRY (1685-1755) AND ANDRÉ CHARLEMAGNE CHARRON (FL. 1753-1780), MID 18TH CENTURY |

depicting Vulcan and Venus, with Vulcan seated below and his assistants forging armour, with Venus and her attendants in the clouds above with the chariot with the doves, signed in left hand side of design, in reverse (and without the 'r'), F.Bouche, 1749, lacking original selvedge and without border

Overall measurements: 652cm across the top, 654 across the bottom, 351cm along the left side, 355cm along the right side Tapestry is lined and has old Velcro across the top, which may need replacing across the top edge for hanging purposes in the future. Stable condition overall with balanced colour overall. Still some subtle tones of pastel and stronger colours. Sky sound condition despite discolouration, commensurate with light colour and age. Old fold line and evenly spaced little holes (now dark edged) in vertical line in far right side running up through the third figure from the right. Another vertical old fold line near fourth figure from the right and the basket. Repaired vertical and horizontal lines in rectangular shape up from lower border, in centre - running up to knees of central figures and running under the helmet. Only visible on close inspection. Very striking in size and composition. Beautiful drawing and woven details.
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The series the Love of the Gods (Les Amours des Dieux), designed by François Boucher (1703-1770), includes a total of nine subjects inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses. The present weaving represents the eighth subject of the set, ‘Vulcan presenting arms for Aeneas to Venus’, which is recorded to have been woven between 1752 and 1772 at least sixteen times. All of the subjects were woven by 1750, with the exception of the Venus and Vulcan piece; however the date of 1749 here illustrates that the present composition had indeed been designed earlier. Standen in reference to the Metropolitan comparable of the weaving, mentions specifically only five tapestries which are both signed by Boucher and are dated 1749. For an example of a tapestry of this subject from the series, see a weaving sold at Sotheby’s, New York, 17 October 2015, lot 703. The panel depicts the left hand side of the present tapestry composition, up to the basket and axe to the right of the standing figure in the centre, with the signature and date woven in reverse on the wooden chest in the lower left corner: F. Bouche / 1749, within a later gold and red frame pattern border (approximately 325 by 394cm). Another smaller weaving (337 by 436cm) with the reduced composition extending from the shield on the left side and incorporating the first background figure beyond the basket in the centre, holding the helmet, within a gold and red scrolling and acanthus motif frame pattern border, without any signatures, was offered at Sotheby’s, Monaco, 26 June 1983, lot 312.  

Comparable Literature

Edith, Standen, European Post-Medieval Tapestries and Related Hangings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, vol. II, pp. 534-539, fig. 79a, discusses a weaving of the same subject with marginally less on the far right hand side, and the military trophies showing in the left corner (427 by 544cm), incorporating the Paris workshop signatures, and that of designer (woven as F. Bouche.)

Nello, Forti Grazzini, Il Patrimonio artistico del Quirinale: gli arazzi, Rome and Milan 1994, vol. II, pp.492-530, for discussions on the series of The Story of Psyche, designed by François Boucher in 1739-1742, woven in the Beauvais workshop by Nicolas Besnier (1748-1750), under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Oudry, within a gold and red ‘c’-scroll frame pattern border, with some incorporating workshop signatures, and that of designer, also woven as F. Bouche.