The Departure of Phaon
A rare Antwerp Tapestry, circa 1680, from the workshop of the brothers Michael and Phillip Wauters, designed by Daniel Janssens who was the master of the Guild of Painters in Antwerp.
Height: 8ft 10in (265cm) Width: 10ft 11in (333cm)
Provenance: H.R.H. Prince Vittekind Waldek, Castle Arolsen, Waldek, Germany.
The scene is that of Phaon, departing from the island of Lesbos and rejecting the love of Sappho, the greatest poetess of antiquity, who can be seen being consoled by young girls with whom she lives on the island in the pursuit of literature and poetry, hence the book on the table in the tapestry.
The present tapestry, which is in remarkable condition and retaining fresh original colours, was probably made for the English market, having the rare flower and fruit border, other examples have the more common cross-ribbon border. It comes from a series of mythological tapestries, from which Pygmalion is also in our possession.
Literature: H.C. Marillier, English Tapestries of the 18th century, 1930, pp 79-91, plate 36b.
Price : £ 65,000
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