Reference No.: 78J/ 2653

Origin: Flanders - Brussels

Period: 18th century

Origin: Private Collection

Composition: Wool and silk

Dimension: W 3.30 x H 3.30

- Spring and the celebration of the Floralies

Very fine 18th century tapestry panel, woven by the Leyniers Reydams workshops of the Royal Manufactures of Brussels.

This tapestry has as its register the spring and the celebration of floralies, festivals organized in April to promote the germination of the sowing.

This tapestry is part of a series of four-panel hangings with the theme of the four seasons.

The composition of the cardboard suggests that it most probably comes from a work by Jean VanOrley (1665-1735) and Bruno Coppens (1668-1740).

The finesse of the execution of the tapestry work makes it possible to better appreciate the details and particularly the faces, this being amplified by a remarkable freshness of the colours that this tapestry has preserved.

A beautiful and wide original border, forming a frame and specific to this factory,

with scallops at the corners, comes pleasantly

enhanced the high quality of this tapestry.

Wool, silk: Height: 330 cm; Width: 330 cm

Analysis of the panel composition:

The structure of the composition of the characters suggests a double interpretation, one mythological with the Goddess Flora (or the nymph Chloris for the Greeks) surrounded by her vestals, and the other more contemporary at the time of the realization of the tapestry by the facings of the fountain and the arrangement of the garden which serves as a setting, such as Marie-Louise d'Orléans, Duchesse de BERRY away from the tumult in her gardens of the Château de Saint Cloud.

To the left of the panel where you can see a perfume burner, symbol of the sacrifice made to the cult of Flora who is crowned by putti and receives the offerings of his vestals and other gardeners begging for his graces to obtain his favours for the plantations to come.

Mythological context:

The celebration of the Floralies was officially adopted by a vote of the Roman Senate in 114 BC. These celebrations, celebrated in April, lasted 5 days at the time, and were originally suggested, according to the literature, by the impulse of a rich courtesan, who wanted to leave her mark on history.

Indeed, the importance of Flora appears from the fact that in Rome a particular flamingo (Flamen Floralis) was dedicated to her and that her sanctuary - once a sacellum - stood on Old Quirinal, near the temple of Quirinus. According to tradition, it was introduced to Rome by Titus Tatius, the Sabine king associated with Romulus, at the same time as Quirinus.

Rome dedicated five days of celebrations to him, the Floralies. The Senate then made them annual in 114 BC after a few years of famine, naturally attributed to the anger of the nymph. Every year in April, it was celebrated in the agricultural festivals intended to promote harvests.

Without his support, neither the growth of cereals nor fruit trees would be possible.

Later, it was dedicated to the flowers to which it gave its old Sabine name (and not the other way around).

Flora was particularly adored by the Sabines who carried this cult to Rome, where it was celebrated during the Floral Games. Considered as the deity of fertility, and more particularly of wild flowers.

It is through this means that it is assimilated to the dignity of fertility, "fertility" in its broadest sense: it is through the flowering of wild plants that bees produce their work and give birth to green nature in spring.

The goddess Flora thus plays the same essential role in the plant world as Venus does in the animal world. She was often associated with Pomona. The cult of Pomona being very close, if their origins differ, their practices are confused. Her worship passed from the Etruscans to Rome where she had a temple and altars. His sanctuary was located on Via Ostiensis, a dozen miles from Rome.

One of the twelve minor flamingoes, the Pomonalis flamen, the last

in the protocol order of the flamingoes, was dedicated to him. Pomona was usually depicted sitting on a large basket full of flowers and fruit, holding a few apples in his left hand and a twig on his right. The poets depicted her crowned with vine leaves and bunches of grapes, holding in her hands a cornucopia or a basket full of fruit. But then the similarities stop. According to the myth, Pomona was not isolated from the world, so only a few people could approach her. At first, she refused to receive Vertumne, god of the seasons and fruit trees, who was madly in love with her, but she ended up giving her preference. He found the right trick to approach him and talk to him: disguised as an old woman, he came to compliment Pomona on the fruits of her trees and kissed her with a good heart.

Then he showed her an elm tree embraced by a vine and pleaded the cause of love. Then he told her the love story of Anaxaret: "Anaxaret was a girl born to a noble family in Cyprus, greatly loved by the shepherd Iphis and who reacted so coldly to his passionate love that he hung himself. She was not even moved when she saw the lifeless body of her suitor. As punishment, Aphrodite turned her into stone as she looked out of curiosity at the funeral procession of her

in love to pass under his window. »

According to Lactance, Flora was therefore a courtesan, who bequeathed all her fortune to Rome, provided that celebrations were celebrated each year in Rome in her name. She was therefore divinized, but out of modesty she was made goddess of flowers and not courtesan. However, during these holidays, prostitutes were in the spotlight. ? In the Ballade des dames des dames du temps jadis, the poet Villon cites her, as a courtesan, for her beauty.

? It has also sometimes been likened to Acca Larentia, which was also presented as a rich courtesan whose universal legatee had been the Roman people. ? For John the Lydian (IV, 50-51), Flora was a sacred name of Rome. ? Constantine gave New Rome, Constantinople, the name transposed into Greek of Flora.

Sources :

History of tapestry from the Middle Ages to the present day Guyffrei 1896

The Flemish Tapestry, Guy Delmarcel, Edt Iannoo1999

Dictionary of symbols, myths, dreams, customs, gestures, shapes, figures, colours, numbers. Coll. BOUQ

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