The History of Ariadne - Epicharis inetrrogated by Trébace.
Tapestry composed of eight wool and silk tapestries
Aubusson, late 17th century
The castle of Grignan preserves a hanging from the history of Ariadne. Composed of eight tapestries, it was woven in Aubusson at the end of the 17th century. A monumental art par excellence, tapestry remained, at that time, one of the main decorations of noble interiors. It contributes to the solemnity of a place while effectively isolating it from the cold. An inventory of 1668 lists 135 of them at Grignan Castle
The subject of Ariadne's History is borrowed from a novel written by Jean Desmaret (1595-1676). It recounts the adventures of a young Sicilian woman, Ariadne, and her three companions (Palamède, Ariadne's brother, Mélinte, Ariadne's lover and her servant Epicharis) during the time of the emperor Néron. Travelling through the Mediterranean basin, young people face terrible and extravagant hardships. While the main scenes are based on engravings by Abraham Bosse (1604-1676), the landscape is inspired by Aubusson nature. These bucolic settings underline the naive charm of the characters. It is this aesthetic with its fresh and simple poetry that I appreciate in the Aubusson tapestries of that period. »
Biography
Epicharis is a freed and Roman courtesan. She was a member of Pison's conspiracy against Nero
According to Polyaenus, she was the mistress of one of Seneca's brothers and thus participated in the plot. However, according to Tacitus, the way in which she was informed of the conspiracy plan is unknown.
She did everything possible to stimulate the conspirators to carry out their plan. However, in the face of their hesitations and slowness to act, she got tired and decided to try to convince the sailors of Misenum's fleet in Campania to join the cause. Volusius Proculus, a Chilean of the fleet, seems to be the first to whom Epicharis revealed the secret of the plot project. However, she did not mention any conspirator names. As soon as he obtained this information, Proculus informed Nero. Epicharis was summoned before the emperor. As she had not mentioned any names and as the conversation had no witnesses, Epicharis easily managed to refute the accusation, but remained in detention.
Then, when the conspiracy was discovered, Nero ordered that she be tortured on the easel because she had refused to name the accomplices. But his executioners, despite the blows, the separation and the fire, could not extract a confession from him.
On the second or third day, unable to walk, she was carried on a chair to be tortured again. Fearing that she would no longer be able to keep quiet and thus denounce her accomplices, she strangled herself on the way by her belt, which she had fastened to the chair.
Tacitly stated that she had acted more nobly than some equals or senators, who, without being tortured, betrayed their closest relatives
Our house assures you the sale of a tapestry with invoice and approved expertise, well cleaned, in good condition with its fixing system. If necessary, we will inform you of the work that has been done. All our tapestries can be presented to you at your home in France and neighbouring countries before your final decision.
