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Important French Abusson Allegorical Tapestry of Summer "Four Seasons" Signed

Offered by: Solomon Treasure

Description
A very rare and important French Abusson tapestry of Summer from the "Four Seasons" series. First half of the 18th century. Signed: Ravnavd M R Davbvsson. Related literature: Dominique Chevalier, Pierre Chevalier and Pascal-François Bertrand, Les Tapisseries d'Aubusson et de Felletin, 1457-1791, Paris, 1988, pp. 75-77 The theme of the Four Seasons was used frequently in tapestry production throughout the 18th century. Pierre-Elie Grellet d'Aubusson produced a set of tapestries of the Four Seasons for Michel Collas of Felletin in 1750. In 1760 several similar sets were in the inventory of the late Aubusson weaver, Pierre Mage, in Paris. See Chevalier et al., op. cit., figs. 1-4 for illustrations of a set made in the workshop of Michel Vergne at the beginning of the 18th century from the collection of the National Counsel of Monaco (Summer is shown in fig. 2). In this set each season is represented by a Classical deity: as in the present tapestry, Summer is represented by Ceres, Autumn by Bacchus, Winter by Vulcan and Spring by Flora. Another tapestry of the same design with a different border was sold at Sotheby's, London, September 27, 2012, lot 88. The design for this tapestry seems to draw inspiration from a circa 1695 Beauvais tapestry after Charles Le Brun of the Earth from their Elements series, which also depicts Ceres in a chariot drawn by lions (Heinrich GöBel, Die Wandteppiche, Leipzig, 1928, pt. II, vol. II, no. 218; an engraving of this tapestry was made by Sebastien Le Clerc, a print of which is shown in Chevalier, op. cit., p. 64).

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