SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS - Lot 181

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Lot n° 181
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Result : 3 712EUR
SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS - Lot 181
SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS An exceptional tapestry panel dating from around 1550–1570, probably from Tournai or Brussels. Its theme: The works of mercy are actions that every good Christian must perform, such as feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the poor, caring for the sick, and clothing the naked. These are acts of charity, but also moral duties of those in power. This tapestry is structured according to a moral framework, in which several simultaneous actions illustrate: the works of mercy, human justice, Christian salvation, and the ideal organization of society. Wool and silk Mid-16th century Height: 250 cm; Width: 230 cm. (Natural oxidation and wear; tapestry mounted on a wooden frame; unlined) Provenance: - Hôtel de Conti in Fontainebleau - Acquired from the Bresset Gallery in the 1970s by the current owners ANALYSIS OF THE PANEL: In the foreground, centered in the composition, a seated woman holds a jug between her knees; she faces a tonsured monk on the right side of the panel, who is holding a pot and serving soup with a ladle. A man standing between the woman and the monk is drinking soup from a bowl. Further to the right, set back from the monk, stands a noblewoman, holding a basket in her left arm and, with her right hand, offering bread to a woman situated in the center of the panel, between the monk and the man drinking soup. In the background, behind the woman with the bread, a man is shackled to a pillory, condemned to be subjected to public scorn. On the left, an elderly nobleman comes to offer him comfort. Further to the left, an old beggar, leaning on a crutch and dressed in rags, waits his turn to receive some soup. In the background, between the man in the stocks and the noblewoman, one can glimpse through the bars of a castle window two men who are likely prisoners. The castle occupies the entire right-hand background of the panel. In the left-hand background, beyond the old beggar and the noblewoman of a certain age, a man can be seen plowing a field with the help of a horse. And higher up in the center of the panel, on the hillsides, one can see a sparse crowd of people watching the hanging of a condemned man. I. THE FOREGROUND: THE REGISTER OF ACTIVE CHARITY The foreground focuses on the most significant gestures. Each action corresponds to a corporal work of mercy. 1. The monk distributing soup → “Feeding the hungry” The tonsured monk holds a pot, serves with a ladle, and feeds the poor. He represents: institutional Christian charity, the role of religious orders in assisting the needy. The soup is essential: simple, communal food, a symbol of minimal but vital aid. The gesture of ladling is central: it embodies the flow of grace and nourishment. 2. The noblewoman giving out bread → “Feeding the hungry” and “practicing charity” This figure is extremely important. She: carries a basket, distributes bread, and acts with calm and dignity. She embodies: the ideal Christian nobility, the generosity of the powerful, and the moral responsibility of the elite. Bread obviously possesses: nutritional value, but also Eucharistic significance. Bread evokes Christ, sharing, and salvation. 3. The seated woman holding a jug → A figure of reception and mediation. This woman is fascinating because she does not act directly: she holds a jug between her knees, she is seated, and she watches the scene. The jug may symbolize: water, wine—and thus sustenance or purification. She seems to play a role: that of an intermediary, a source of stability, almost allegorical. She could personify: abundance, temperance, or the community benefiting from charity. 4. The man drinking soup → The poor man receiving aid His gesture is very concrete: drinking, receiving, surviving. He represents: the needy, the humble, those who depend on Christian mercy. His bowl is significant: it symbolizes dependence but also the acceptance of aid. II. THE THEME OF SUFFERING AND JUSTICE 5. The Man on the Trebuchet → Public Justice and Humiliation The trebuchet is a form of public exposure. This figure is punished, humiliated before everyone, and subjected to the collective gaze. Here, the tapestry introduces an essential theme: earthly justice. But what is remarkable is that the scene is not solely punitive. 6. The Elderly Nobleman Comforting the Condemned Man → “Visiting the Imprisoned” This is likely the panel’s major iconographic key. The nobleman approaches the condemned man and offers him moral comfort. This refers directly to a work of mercy: “visiting the imprisoned.”
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