INGRID DE MEUTER: Mythological Stories on Tapestries in the Collection of Tapestries and Textiles at the Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels
The KMKG owns the largest collection of tapestries in Belgium. It is not a historical collection but a collection of 150 tapestries that was gradually built up as from the opening days of the museum in the second half of the 19th century. Using some examples with mythological themes we run through the collection.
From the middle of the 14th and 15th centuries, the production and trade of tapestries became more and more important. Series are created widely. The themes that were given preference for the great cycles were based on stories from the Old Testament, the New Testament, epics and mythological themes. The series with the Works of Hercules were very popular. In the collection the specimens from the 15th and 16th century there are also fine examples of Gothic and Renaissance style.
In the first specimen woven in Tournai around 1480, the birth and youth of Hercules appears in a crowded composition in which there is no unity of place and time.
The series of four tapestries of nearly a century onwards shows a very different effect. The landscape is as important as the figures. Each tapestry shows one of the labors of Hercules.
In the 16th century the Habsburg court takes over the role of driving force behind the tapestry production in the Southern Netherlands from the Dukes of Burgundy. They regularly instruct the creation of new series. Mythological themes take an ever greater share. One of the most beautiful and innovative achievements in this period is the creation of the History of Vertumnus and Pomona, a story that is part of the Metamorphoses of Ovid.
In the series, created around 1545, we see in each of the tapestries Vertumnus, in another appearance, courting Pomona. The protagonists are always placed in a beautiful garden with pergolas. These cartons continued to be woven until the beginning of the 17th century. It is one of such specimens that we have in the collection in Brussels.
Of the series History of Perseus and Andromeda, to be situated at the end of the 17th century, the museum shows two pieces. Interestingly, the same designers as the room with mythological themes delivered the cartons: Lucas Achtschellinck for the backgrounds and Louis van Schoor for the figures.
Finally, we are talking about a set woven in Oudenaarde with mythological subjects, for which Louis Van Schoor provided the figures Apparently he introduced some topics for the first time there that are very similar to the Brussels series.