Lot 04

Isaac Moillon (1614 - 1673) SCENE FROM THE BANQUET OF DIDO AND AENEAS

The tapestry comes from the important royal workshops of Aubusson and was designed by the eminent French painter Isaac Moillon, whose work was brought to light in the 1980s after a long period of obscurity.As the king's court painter, he created several tapestry designs, including a set dedicated to the figure of Achilles, now housed in the Hospices de Beaune, and scenes from the life of Ulysses, which can be seen at the Chateau Villemonteix. The Cité internationale de la tapisserie in Aubusson has nine works on Dido and Aeneas. The tapestry on offer is from this set and depicts a banquet scene in fragments from one half. The FIgural scene is set in the great palace at Carthage. It is dominated by the figure of Achates, who was the attendant of Aeneas, who is shown pouring wine on the scene and listening, apart from the notes of a harp, as (absent from the tapestry) Queen Dido tells the story of how Troy was conquered. The tapestry is framed by a rich border with a decoration of floral garlands. Restored, newly cleaned.