Silk Wall Decorations

Edo period (c. 1800) screen, beautifully painted with excellent details. Kano School painting at its best. An exuberant Audobon landscape being observed by a cat and her kitten. A...

Hand-embroidered in the historic city of Kerman in southwest Persia around the turn of the 20th century, this exquisite **Suzani—also known as Termeh embroidery—**is a refined example of Persia’s most sophisticated domestic textile arts. Created entirely by hand using silk and cotton threads on a deep red cloth ground, the piece displays a vibrant, harmonious palette of indigo blue, royal purple, saffron yellow, and warm brown. Suzanis of this caliber were traditionally made for auspicious household occasions, including weddings, dowries, and ceremonial gatherings, where they were used as table covers, ceremonial cloths, and decorative furnishings. Each motif and color was selected not only for beauty, but for its symbolic meaning—prosperity, protection, fertility, and continuity—making every piece a cultural document as well as a decorative work of art. The embroidery exhibits remarkable precision and fluidity, with scrolling floral and medallion forms that reflect Kerman’s long legacy as a center of Persian textile refinement. The luminous silk threads catch the light beautifully, giving the surface a subtle dimensionality and elegance. Today, this antique Suzani makes a striking statement as wall tapestry art, as well as an extraordinary table covering. Dimensions: 33" x 35" Date of Manufacture: 1st Quarter of the 1900s Place of Origin: Persia Material: Silk embroidery on wool Condition: Good The Persian Knot Gallery, SKU: 2316 Persian Termeh...

Monumental Museum tapestry/Gobelein 17th century Battle scene Alexander the Great and Darius III Persian King The characters are depicted in life size. An absolute museum unique. Dimension: 530x320 cm Description: Monumental tapestry...

Authentic work ◆ Shuson Kono ◆ Illustrated landscape of the literati ◆ Shared box ◆ Landscape ◆ Ehime Prefecture ◆ Handpainted ◆ Silk ◆ Hanging scrol...

First the fragment has been hand backed on a linen fabric, then stretched over a wooden stretcher and finished with a wooden frame. Early 20th C. Kazakstan, ( silk embroidery on silk...

Japanese six-panel screen: Late winter into early spring, Rimpa style painting of a garden scene with doves on a bamboo fence. Flowers in bloom including ...

Nice embroidery panel with dragon design entirely hand embroidered with silk on silk Dragon designs are on relief.

Discover the timeless elegance of this early 20th-century Aubusson or Flanders tapestry featuring a captivating design of a shepherd with sheep. This tapestry depicts a pastoral sce...

First the fragment has been hand backed on a linen fabric, then stretched over a wooden stretcher and finished with a wooden frame. Late 19th C. Turkey. Ready to go on a wall. Frame...

On mulberry paper with silk brocade. From the estate of Andrea Bollt. Artist's seal reads: Mitsushito (died 1922).

Exquisite late 19th-century French needlepoint tapestry originally from a chair cover but can be also use for cushions, or frames. Adorned with a captivating floral design from the N...

Suzani, a Central Asian term for a specific type of needlework, is also the broader name for the hugely popular decorative pieces of textile that feature this needlework in vivid col...

First the fragment has been hand backed on a linen fabric, then stretched over a wooden stretcher and finished with a wooden frame. E 20th C. Ottoman Turkey Ready to go on a wall. F...

This is a vintage embroidered bird panel. A Korean, silk cotton embroidery of a colourful pheasant, dating to the Art Deco period, circa 1930. Delightful ...

Monumental 17th Century Flemish Tapestry – The Battle of Jerusalem Brussels or Oudenaarde, Circa 1680–1700 Wool and silk, polychrome weave After designs in the French Baroque tradit...

Imao Keisho (1902-1993) Pine Trees Early 20th Century, Circa 1930 Pair of six-panel Japanese screens. Ink on silk and gold leaf. Dimensions: Each screen H. 67.5” x 148” (172 cm x 376 cm) A pair of monumental six-panel Japanese pine screens by the renowned Nihonga artist Imao Keisho. Here Keisho entirely removed the background and brought the pine trees to the surface of the painting. This simplification of the elements makes the scene exceptionally direct and compelling and injects a very modern...

Nice mid century large Chinese silk embroidery with beautiful floral design with birds and nice colors, entirely hand embroidered with silk on ...

a fine 16th century Italian renassaince embroidery Very beautiful velvet and silk embroidery Very beautiful frieze at the bottom beautiful floral decoration It has its own linen lin...

First the fragment has been hand backed on a linen fabric, then stretched over a wooden stretcher and finished with a wooden frame. Late 19th C. Tajikstan Ready to go on a wall. Fr...

Flemish French Tapestry (Manufactury of Flandres) 17th century - Greenery with Owl - H2m70xL2m25 - No. 1430 Clean, revised and lined with velcro A stone's throw from the Eiffel Towe...

Gorgeous Antique 18th Century French Beauvais Floral Tapestry Lumbar Pillow measuring 14 x 21 inches. Excellent condition. Complimentary Shipp...

71052 Antique Chinese Silk Embroidered Tapestry, 02'11 x 04'08. Woven in luminous silk and composed with poetic restraint, this antique Chinese embroidered...

First the fragment has been hand backed on a linen fabric, then stretched over a wooden stretcher and finished with a wooden frame. Late 19th C. Uzbekistan Ready to go on a wall. Fr...

Japanese two-panel screen: Peony, Wisteria, cherry and bamboo on soft silver, Meiji period (1868-1912) painting of a garden in spring. Painted in mineral pigments on oxidized silver ...

Suzani tapestries are a type of embroidered textile that originated in Central Asia, and were popular throughout the Ottoman Empire. These decorative textiles were hand-crafted by sk...

This large 19th century Suzani embroidery is an exceptional example of Central Asian textile artistry, originating from Uzbekistan. Composed of silk embroidery on a cotton ground, th...

This is absolutely lovely antique 19th century French Aubusson Tapestry pillow with flowers with a velour backing. It measures: 15 x 12 inches. Excellent condition. Complimentary S...

French, 18th century Verdure Aubusson tapestry handwoven in wool with silk highlights set within a complete floral border. Two birds wade a...

Red "Suzani". A beautiful old embroidered cover "Suzani" from Uzbekistan in the style and color palette that is associated with the city of Tashkent. The motifs are executed in silk ...

19th century Chinese silk painting. Framed and matted. Features scene of Chinese characters in a ceremony. Beautiful muted colors of green, red, ...

Stately pair of Chinese export ancestor portraits depicting a patriarch and matriarch of high ranking official status. Both depicted sitting and wearing decorated robes and hats. Mou...

Celebrate the rich heritage of Asian craftsmanship with this exquisite 100% silk Suzani textile, meticulously hand-embroidered by skilled artisans. A true work of art, this piece emb...

In the late 17th century, Brussels tapestry weavers achieved remarkable heights of artistry and technique, exemplified by a fine tapestry from circa 1680 that vividly depicts a dramatic battle scene. This masterpiece, crafted from a blend of silk and wool, showcases a rich array of colors—primarily blues, greens, and reds—that create a visually arresting narrative. The central motif of the tapestry is a dynamic and detailed battle scene, where the vibrant hues of blues, greens, and reds intertwine to convey the intensity and chaos of the conflict. The blues range from deep, somber tones that suggest a foreboding sky or tumultuous waters, to lighter, almost ethereal shades that might evoke a sense of movement or distance. Greens provide a lush, verdant backdrop, perhaps representing a forested terrain or rolling hills, and contrast strikingly with the reds that highlight the uniforms of the soldiers, the banners they bear, or the flashes of conflict. The tapestry’s execution in silk and wool adds a luxurious texture and depth to the image. The silk contributes a lustrous sheen to the colors, enhancing their vibrancy and making the reds particularly vivid. The wool, with its more subdued texture, provides a rich, tactile quality that adds to the overall grandeur of the piece. Framing this central battle tableau is an intricately detailed border that serves as both a decorative and narrative element. This border features a lively array of figures, fruits, and birds, rendered with the same meticulous attention to detail as the central scene. The figures, often depicted in an elegant and somewhat theatrical style, may include allegorical or mythological characters, adding layers of symbolism and context to the tapestry. The fruits, depicted in lush, vibrant colors, provide a contrast to the intensity of the battle, symbolizing abundance and prosperity. Birds, possibly rendered in mid-flight or perched gracefully, enhance the sense of movement and liveliness that permeates the artwork. The border’s detailed design serves to frame the central action, drawing the viewer's eye inward and providing a harmonious balance to the overall composition. It is not merely a decorative element but an integral part of the tapestry, enriching the narrative and adding to its visual complexity. In its entirety, this Brussels tapestry from the late 17th century stands as a testament to the skill and artistry of its creators. Its use of color, texture, and detailed border elements reflects the opulence and sophistication of the period, making it a significant example of the era's weaving artistry and a captivating portrayal of historical and artistic grandeur. The Battle of Cannae: Hannibal's Masterstroke The Battle of Cannae, fought in 216 BC during the Second Punic War, is one of the most celebrated and studied military engagements in history. The conflict took place between the forces of Carthage, led by the brilliant general Hannibal Barca, and the Roman...

-Belgium Origin -18th century -handwoven wool & silk tapestry -W 236.22 in, H 118.11 in / W 600 cm, H 300 cm -Provenance: private collection, France This tapestry from the eighteent...

A vibrant celebration of spring using a colorful ensemble of coxcomb, irises, lilies, hybiscus, and a blossoming cherry tree. Great examples of "tarashikomi" or "painting-in", a Rim...

Gorgeous handwoven silk Ikat weaving in rich magenta, gold and purple color, circa late 19th-early 20th century, Uzbekistan, Central Asia, on the ancient...

A suzani silk embroidery on brown ground. In a brightly colored pattern of scrolling flowers and berries. The wide boarder is outlined inside and out by a smaller border of flowers o...

First the fragment has been hand backed on a linen fabric, then stretched over a wooden stretcher and finished with a wooden frame. Late 19th C. Uzbekistan Ready to go on a wall. Fr...

Victorian Sampler, 1840, By Elizabeth Ann Fox. The sampler is worked in silk threads on a linen ground, mainly in cross stitch. Meandering strawberry border. Colours green, dark brow...

A woman's coat made of black silk with wide sleeves from Chinese late Qing Dynasty (mid to late 19th century), mounted and presented on blue linen board and framed as a stunning piec...

Exceptional Japanese contemporary two-panel "byobu" or folding screen featuring two graceful ladies dressed in elegant formal traditional Japanese kimonos. This folding screen is ins...

A pair of fine Korean silk embroidered rank badge (Hyungbae in Korean) from Joseon Dynasty circa late 19th century. A matching pair of Hyungbae like these ...

Celebrate the rich heritage of Asian craftsmanship with this exquisite 100% silk Suzani textile, meticulously hand-embroidered by skilled artisans. A true work of art, this piece emb...

First the fragment has been hand backed on a linen fabric, then stretched over a wooden stretcher and finished with a wooden frame. Late 19th C. Tajikstan Ready to go on a wall. Fra...

Two panel folding screen with oil paintings depicting mythological male figures. Back of screen is upholstered in silk damask. Brass nailhead trim. Fabric hinges.

An Uzbek ikat in silk with striking purple and gold pattern. An ikat is a textile in which the pattern is achieved by dyeing the warp threads prior to weaving. Now mounted on a woode...

Iwase Hirotaka (1808-1877) Koi and Water Plants Hanging scroll, ink, color, gold wash and gold flecks on silk Inscription: Hirotaka Seal: Ille...

A stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower We are a family business specializing in the purchase, sale and expertise of old, modern and contemporary tapestries, rugs, kilims and textiles....

Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike cloth...

This impressive tapestry depicts the celebrated meeting of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, a subject long admired for its associations with wisdom, diplomacy, and enlightened ru...

Suzani, a Central Asian term for a specific type of needlework, is also the broader name for the hugely popular decorative pieces of textile that feature this needlework in vivid col...

Fine 17th century Baroque period silk and metallic thread embroidery panel. Excellent vibrant colors of bold burgundy, pale cream and beautiful, elegant teal with a border of textur...

It has been hand backed on linen and stretched over a stretcher , and finished with the wooden frame. Ready to go on any Wall.

Mori Tetsuzan (1775-1841) Pheasants and Cherry Blossoms Two-fold Japanese screen. Ink, color, gofun, gold and silver on paper. A two-fold Japanese bir...

Tapestry from the Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period , made in 1738 at the Gobelins One panel from a series of Gobelins tapestries depicting the History of Esther, illustrating Esther seated and attended by handmaidens, one washing her feet in golden basin, another fastening a bracelet, another offering a mirror, all observed by Mordecai, woven in the workshop of Michele Audran after a design by J. F. de Troy. The Toilet of Esther c.1778-85.Royal Collection Trust-Queens Audience Chamber Windsor Castle The Sketches for the Esther Cycle by Jean-François de Troy (1736) “and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mor’decai, ..., took for his own daughter.” (Est. 2:7) A supple and undulating genius, both a flattering portraitist and a prolix history painter, as well as a brilliant genre painter, in a gallant or worldly vein, Jean-François de Troy (Paris, 1679 – Rome, 1752), solicited, although he had passed the threshold of old age, a new royal commission up to his ambitions. To obtain it, he submitted – successfully - for the approval of the Bâtiments du roi (administration), seven modelli painted in 1736 with his usual alacrity. Inspired by one of the most novelistic texts of the Old Testament, the Book of Esther, these sketches in a rapid and virtuoso manner were transformed by the artist, between 1737 and 1740 into large cartoons intended to serve as models for the weavers of the Gobelins factory. Showing undeniable ease and skill in the composition in perfect harmony with the sensitivities of the times, the tapestry set met with great success. The Story of Esther perfectly corresponded to the plan of the Bâtiments du roi to renew the repertoire of tapestry models used for the weavers of the royal factories while it also conformed to the tastes of Louis XV’s subjects for a fantastical Orient, the set for a dramatic tale in which splendour, love and death were combined. Indeed, no tapestry set was woven in France during the 18th century as often as that of Esther. The series of modelli painted by de Troy during the year 1736 looks to the history of French painting and decoration under Louis XV as much as it does the history of the Gobelins. It probably counts among the most important rococo pictorial groups to have remained in private hands. First the Biblical source illustrated by De Troy which constitutes the base of one of the richest iconographical traditions of Western art will be considered. Then the circumstances and specific character of French civilisation during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV which contributed to making the theme of Esther a relevant subject, both attractive to contemporaries and remarkably in line with the sensitivities of the time will be elucidated. An examination of the exceptional series of sketches united here, the cartoons and the tapestries that they anticipate as well as a study of their reception will close this essay. The Book of Esther: A scriptural source at the source of rich iconography. The origin of the Esther tapestry set by Jean-François de Troy – origin and creation of a masterpiece According to the evidence of one of the artist’s early biographers, the chevalier de Valory, author of a posthumous elegy of the master, read at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture on 6 February 1762, it was apparently due to early16 rivalry with François Lemoyne (1688-1737), his younger colleague who had precisely just been appointed First Painter to the King in 1736, that had encouraged François de Troy to seek a commission allowing him to show off his ease and his promptitude at the expense of a rival who was notoriously laborious: “M. De Troy, retaining some resentment of the kind of disadvantage which he believed to have suffered compared with his emulator looked to regain some territory by making use of the facility his rival did not possess. Lemoyne was excessively long in the creation of his works,and M. De Troy of a rare celerity: consequently, with this particular talent, the latter offered to the court to make paintings appropriate to be executed at the Gobelins Factory; and it is to this circumstance that we owe the beautiful series of the Story of Esther, which would be sufficient alone to give him a great reputation.”17 Beyond the suspicion inspired by the topos, which still constitutes, more or less, a tale of rivalries between artists in ancient literature, there is probably some truth in what Valory reports although A.-J. Dezalier d’Argenville (who indicates rather spitefully that de Troy did not hesitate to “cut prices” to impose himself, benefitting from the productivity assured by the unlikely rapidity of his brush)18 proves to be more evasive: “As he looked to busy himself, he had offered to make the paintings that serve as models for the King’s tapestries cheaply: which did not please his colleagues. He was given a choice of two tapestry series to be made and he took the Story of Esther and that of Jason”.19 Whether or not the choice was actually left to de Troy (which would appear rather casual on the royal administration’s part all the same), it seems likely that the artist, whose contemporaries extol his “fire”, as the faculty of invention was then called, must have ardently aspired to the possibility of using on a very large scale the “creative genius” with which Dezallier d’Argenville credits him. The decoration of the private apartments, the fashion for which Louis XV had promoted at Versailles and Fontainebleau, offered little opportunity to excel in this area. Other than painting for altarpieces, only tapestries could allow comparison with Lemoyne who had been granted – unfortunately for him – a major decoration: the enormous ceiling of the Hercules Room at Versailles. Favoured by the recent improvement in France’s financial situation, the revival of patronage offered de Troy a commission fitting for him, in a field in which, however, he had hardly any experience. Anxious to renew the repertoire of models available to the Gobelins factory, the Duc d’Antin, surintendant des Bâtiments du roi from 1708 to 1736 followed by his successor, Philibert Orry comte de Vignory, gave him the task of producing seven large cartoons inspired by the Book of Esther corresponding to the brilliant sketches or modelli which de Troy had produced in one go, or almost (very few preparatory drawings can in fact be linked to the Esther cycle and all seem to be at the execution stage of the cartoons).20 Subjected to the approval of the Administration des Bâtiments according to the procedure in use for projects being planned for the Gobelins, sketches made rapidly during 1736 were approved and the project launched immediately. Thereupon came the news of François Lemoyne’s death, who, ground down by work and a victim of his private torment, committed suicide on 4 June 1737. Against all expectations, de Troy did not replace his rival in the position of First Painter (which remained vacant until the appointment of Charles Coypel in January 1747), which would perhaps have made him too obviously the beneficiary of the drama. The awarding of the position of Director of the French Academy in Rome came to console him while he had already produced (or he was in the process of finishing), in Paris, three of the seven cartoons of the cycle (The Fainting of Esther finished in 1737 and the Toilet and Coronation of Esther, both finished in 1738). De Troy, we can see, did not follow the order of the narrative but began with the subjects which apparently offered the least difficulty because he had already depicted them, or because they fall into a strong pictorial tradition (such is the case especially for the Fainting of Esther). He had hardly settled at the Palazzo Mancini in August 1738, when his first task which awaited the new director of the French Academy naturally consisted of honouring the royal commission and finishing without delay the final cartoons of the Story of Esther after the sketches he must have taken with him. As prompt as ever, de Troy discharged himself of the execution of the four remaining cartoons in only two years, by beginning with the largest format which allowed him to strike the imagination and to impose himself as soon as he arrived on the Roman stage: the Triumph of Mor’decai which was finished in 1739 (like Esther’s Banquet). The following year, the Mor’decai's Disdain and The Sentencing of Haman were brought to an end in the same Neo-Venetian style, obviously tributary to Veronese with its choice of “open” monumental architecture which is characteristic of the entire cycle.21 The series, it should be noted, was almost augmented with some additional scenes in the mid 1740s. Indeed, the first tapestry set finished at the Gobelins in 1744 proved to be unsuitable for the arrangement of the Dauphine’s apartments at Versailles for which it had been intended to decorate the walls the following year (cf infra). Informed of this, de Troy, considering that the story of Esther offered “several good subjects,” immediately offered to illustrate one or new subject among those “which could appear to be the most interesting”. The directeur des Bâtiments Orry, who managed the State’s accounts, obviously judged it less costly to have one of the tapestries widened to fill in the end of the Dauphine’s bedroom,22 which has probably deprived us of very original compositions, because de Troy had already illustrated the most famous themes, those that benefitted from a strongly established iconographical tradition and from which it was not easy to deviate The Tapestry Set of the Story of Esther Placed on the tapestry looms of the Gobelins at the end of the 1730s in Michel Audran’s workshop, the cycle created by de Troy aroused true infatuation. The few hundred tapestries made between 1738 and 1797 – all in high-warp tapestry and woven in wool and silk except for four in low-warp made in Neilson’s workshop – show the impressive success of a tapestry set that was without any doubt the most frequently woven of the 18th century in France. 29 Only three cartoons had been delivered by de Troy in 1738 when the first tapestry set was begun by Audran under the expert eye of Jean-Baptiste Oudry to whom the Directeur général des bâtiments, Philibert Orry had assigned the (weekly) supervision of the weaving. During the summer of 1738, the piece of the Fainting of Esther, which Oudry judged to be admirable, was finished. During the winter of 1742, Oudry informed Orry that about two ells of the Triumph of Mor’decai had been made “with no faults”,that the Coronation of Esther was finished and that the Esther at her Toilet “a very gracious tapestry” was “a little over half” finished. Exhibited at Versailles in 1743, these two last pieces were admired by Louis XV and the Court. On 3 December 1744, the set of seven tapestries was finally delivered to the Garde Meuble. It was intended, the honour was not slight, to decorate the apartments of the Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain whose marriage to the young Dauphin Louis-Ferdinand had been fixed for the following year (it took place on 23 February 1745). Apparently it was thought that the theme of Esther the biblical heroine and wife of a foreign sovereign was appropriate for the apartments of the Spanish Dauphine. As early as the month of March, the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel informed de Troy that her grand cabinet was decorated with the “Esther tapestry set” specifying however that “for lack of two small or one large piece, we have not been able to decorate the end of the room”. This difficulty led immediately to the Banquet episode being woven a second time in two parts (they were delivered to the Garde-Meuble on 30 December 1746) to garnish the panels on each side of the bed of the Dauphine who would hardly enjoy them (she died on 22 July 1746 and the decoration was installed for the new Dauphine Maria Josepha of Saxony). The appearance of the set’s remarkable border, which imitated a richly sculpted wooden frame, should be mentioned. Conceived in 1738 by the ornamentalist Pierre Josse-Perrot and used in the later weavings until 1768, it tended to reinforce the resolutely painterly appearance of the tapestry set which, in this regard, pushed the art of tapestry as far as its ultimate mimetic possibilities. With the exception of Mor’decai's Disdain which had been removed earlier, the “editio princeps” of the story of Esther (from then on in nine pieces) remained at Versailles until the Revolution. Of the eight surviving tapestries, four are at the chateau of Compiègne and four belong today to the Mobilier National. No less than seven tapestry sets reputed to be complete (one of them in fact only had six tapestries) would be produced officially at the Gobelins up to 1772. Literature: 1- The Œuvres mêlées of an emulator of Racine, the Abbé Augustin NADAL thus include an Esther. Divertissement spiritual which is exactly contemporary with Jean François de Troy’s cycle since it was performed in 1735 and published in Paris three years later. 2-Le Siècle de Louis XIV, 1751, 1785 ed., p. 96-97 for French ed. 3- Lemoyne and de Troy had been obliged to share the First Prize in the competition organised in 1727 between the most prominent history painters of the Académie Royale. 4- Mémoires…, pub. L. DUSSIEUX et al., 1854, II, p.265. 5-The fact that de Troy, at the risk of falling out with his colleagues, did not hesitate to make use of prices in order to convince the new directeur des Bâtiments Philibert Orry, is confirmed by Mariette who adds tersely “it caused much shouting” (pub. 1851-1860, II, p. 103). 6- Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintres…, ed. 1762, IV, p. 368-369 20 Early comments on the painter are inclined to present him as a kind of “pure painter”, doing without the medium of drawing, a few intermediary studies between the Esther sketches and the large cartoons at the Louvre nevertheless show that de Troy used red chalk (see in the catalogue, the notice for the Meal of Esther and Ahasuerus under the entry drawing) to change one or other figure. 7-C. GASTINEL-COURAL (cat. exp. PARIS, 1985, p. 9-13) as well as the article by J. VITTET, exh. cat. LA ROCHE-GUYON, 2001, p. 51-55. 8-The Hermitage in St. Petersburg conserves five tapestries of these two royal gifts whose provenance still awaits elucidation (as far as we are aware). In 1766, the Grand Marshal of Russia, Count Razumovski (or Razamowski), acquired the Fainting and the Banquet extracted from the sixth weaving (J. VITTET, 2001, p. 53). 9- Lettres écrites de Suisse, d’Italie…,quoted by J. VITTET, op. cit., p. 54. 10-The tapestry set remained in the hands of a branch of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family until 1933 (ibid. P. 54). 11-Quoted by Chr. LERIBAULT, 2002, p. 97, note 269. 12-Y. CANTAREL-BESSON, 1992, p. 241. Catalogue The Esther at her Toilet Oil on canvas, 57 x 51 cm Provenance: Painted in 1736 at the same time as the six other modelli of the Story of Esther intended to be presented, for approval, to the direction des Bâtiments du Roi; perhaps identifiable among a lot of sketches by Jean-François de Troy in the post mortem inventory of the amateur, historian and critic Claude-Henri Watelet (1718-1786) drawn up on 13 January 1786 and following days (A.N. T 978, n° 30) then in the sale of the property of the deceased, Paris, 12 June 1786, n° 33; Paris, François Marcille Collection (who owned a series of six sketches from which the Triumph of Mor’decai was missing, see infra); Paris, Marcille Sale, Hôtel Drouot, 12-13 January 1857, n° 36; Asnières, Mme de Chavanne de Palmassy ( ?) collection; Paris, Galerie Cailleux; Paris, Humbert de Wendel collection (acquired from the Galerie Cailleux in 1928); by inheritance in the same family; Paris, Sotheby’s, 23 June 2011, n° 61. In order not to add unnecessarily to the technical commentary on each work, the catalogue raisonné by Chr. Leribault which contains a substantial bibliography on the series should be referred to. The other bibliographical references only concern the publications and exhibitions to have appeared and been presented more recently. Bibliography and Exhibitions: Chr. LERIBAULT, 2002, n° P. 247 (repr.); E. LIMARDO DATURI, 2004, p. 28; Exh. cat. NANTES, 2011, p. 138, n° 34, referred to in note 1; Sotheby’s catalogue, Tableaux anciens et du XIXe siècle, 23 June 2011, n° 61 (repr.). Related Works: Tapestry cartoon: The cartoon (oil on canvas, 329 x 320 cm), the third made by the artist in Paris after the sketches had been approved by the direction des Bâtiments, is in the Louvre (Inv. 8315). It previously bore the painter’s signature and the date 1738 (inscriptions which are found on the tapestries). The royal administration paid 1600 livres for it on 21 June 1738 and it was exhibited at the Salon in the year of its creation. Summary Biography 1679 (27 January): Baptism in Paris (Parish of St. Nicolas du Chardonnet) of Jean-François de Troy, son of the painter François de Troy and Jeanne Cotelle, sister of the painter Jean II Cotelle. 1696-1698: Studies (apparently rather turbulent) at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. 1698-1708: First trip to Italy. Is obliged to leave Rome in January 1711 after a tempestuous affair (a duel?), de Troy extends the traditional Roman experience as a pensionnaire at the Académie de France by also visiting Tuscany where he stays for a long time, Venice (his art in face has a strongly Venetian character) and Genoa. 1708: De Troy (whose father had been elected Director of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture on 7 July) is agréé and immediately received at the Académie with Apollo and Diana Piercing with their Arrows the Children of Niobe (Montpellier, Musée Fabre) on 28 July. 1710: First royal commission, paid for on 10 May (a sketch representing “the Promotion of the Order of the Holy Spirit” for the tapestry series of the History of the King). 1716: Jean-François de Troy is elected Assistant Professor at the Academy. 1720: He is appointed Professor. 1723: The artist creates the double portrait of Louis XV...

Nice antique Chinese embroidery with beautiful design with flowers, birds and butterflies, and with nice natural colours with a red background, entirely hand embroidered with silk, w...

This fine antique tapestry has retained Beautiful color in lovely golden and green Hues. The condition is great as it has no Holes or worn areas. It depicts a forest And floral veget...

Celebrate the rich heritage of Asian craftsmanship with this exquisite 100% silk Suzani textile, meticulously hand-embroidered by skilled artisans. A true work of art, this piece emb...

Fine Scottish silk-on-linen sampler worked by Elizabeth Muir, aged 13 years, Burton, September 8, circa 1822, of East Lothian parish, featuring alphabet and number panels above paren...

Antique Japanese Recycled Zanshiori Jacket Zanshi-ori cloth is woven from leftover cotton and silk threads, either from commercial kimono production or from home-produced recycled y...