Early Flemish Tapestry Panel

Early Flemish tapestry panel dating to the second half of the 16th century.

It depicts a scene from the Old Testament story of Jacob and Rachel as described in Genesis. Jacob flees to his uncle's estate and meets and falls in love with Rachel, his cousin. Jacob's uncle requests that Jacob work for him for seven years looking after his sheep before he can marry Rachel. Jacob agrees, with various twists to the story which are not part of this tapestry fragment. However, the scene depicted here is the moment Jacob meets the shepherds, and together they lift the (very heavy) lid on the well to let the sheep drink. A large tapestry showing several scenes of the story, including the one depicted in the piece in hand, is in the National Trust Collections at Powis Castle, Powys. This tapestry is dated to 1550 - 1600.

The composition is well balanced, with the three male figures in action around the well in front of a group of trees and a bridge and a castle to the left and in the background. Costumes and facial features are finely drawn. The quality of the colours, too, is remarkable, with the reds and blues in particular very fresh.

The panel is worked in a tapestry weave in wool and silk, with some repairs in keeping with age. It has been backed with a good-weight linen and framed with a contemporary galon. 

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Price on application

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

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