Manufacture de Lille Teniers, David II (the Young) - Tapestry - 2.6 m - 1.48 m - Farmers seated at a table

Tapestry from the Lille manufacture in high-warp, after David Teniers the Younger – Village genre scene, late 17th century

Rare and elegant high-warp tapestry from Lille depicting an outdoor tavern scene, directly inspired by the painting Peasants at the Table at the Inn by David Teniers the Younger, housed at the Petit Palais in Paris. This lively and balanced composition features three characters: a man standing and smoking a pipe, addressing a woman sitting at a rustic table, set within a lively rural landscape. In the background, a typical Flemish village unfolds along a winding road, dotted with thatched cottages and peasant silhouettes.

The subject, woven with great finesse, illustrates the tradition of so-called Ténières tapestries, which were very fashionable at the end of the 17th century in the workshops of Brussels and Lille. The delicate rendering of expressions, the softened tones of blue, brown, and ochre, as well as the depth of the landscape, testify to a high-quality craftsmanship aimed at an aristocratic clientele. The scene, bathed in light and calm, celebrates simple pleasures and rural sociability, in the humanist and picturesque spirit characteristic of Teniers.

A perfect example of the influence of Flemish painting on court decorative arts, this tapestry combines naturalism and narrative elegance, and is a highly valuable museum piece. Model taken and adapted from the famous painting housed at the Petit Palais (Paris), here virtuously transposed into the textile medium.
Lille, around 1680-1700.

Wool and silk. Very good condition.