Rare 18th Century Wool and Silk Tapestry by Leyniers

Beautifully executed and vibrantly coloured, this large tapestry was made in 18th century Brussels by Urbanus (1674-1747) and Daniel III Leyniers (1705-1770).

The tapestry depicts ‘Eumenes’ wrestling match’ or ‘Eumene’s Struggle’ (‘La Lutte d’Eumenes’) inspired by the Greek philosopher and historian, Plutarch’s ‘Parallel Lives’ written around second century A.D. King Phillip II of Macedonia is sitting in the company of two officers observing a wrestling match of Eumenes, a Greek general with another boy. The drawings for the design of the tapestry were produced by Victor Janssens (1658-1736) and Augustin Coppens (1668-1740).

An Arcadian landscape filled with foliage acts as the backdrop for the scene. A cityscape is portrayed in the distance, suggesting the protagonists are situated away from their homes.

The Leyniers were one of the best known and longest established families of weavers and dyers in Brussels. Experts in the process of the dying of threads, their works are of a timeless design and the highest quality. Tapestries manufactured by the Leyniers are in the collection of some of the world’s most important museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

The design of the tapestry includes a superb woven border imitating a giltwood frame, giving the illusion of the piece being displayed in a three-dimensional frame.

The tapestry is signed ‘V. Leyniers D.L.’ to the lower right corner.