..1662, Paris

..1662, Paris

Identifier
20.44.3
Transfer of custody
Victoria and Albert Museum
Acquisition
Rogers Fund, 1920
Collection
Material
Technique
Depiction
Dimension
346.70001220703125 cm (height)
549.9000244140625 cm (width)
Production time
Production place
Type of object

Description

This tapestry depicts the goddess Diana bathing with her nymphs after the hunt (in classical legend, Diana was the goddess of the hunt). The scene takes place before the ruins of a classical temple, beyond which an idealized landscape stretches into the distance. The elaborate borders feature a frieze populated by classical deities between cartouches depicting the signs of the zodiac. The floral cartouches in the corners surround images of a phoenix, a bird of paradise, a dolphin, and a lion. The tapestry was one of at least six depicting scenes from classical mythology, after paintings by Laurent de la Hyre (the original painting for this scene is now in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, California). A similar set of tapestries, with variant borders, is recorded in the collection of Louis XIV.