Tales from the tapestry collection of the Elector Palatine Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter King and Queen

Hanns Hubach

Tales from the

Tapestry Collection of Elector Palatine Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter King and Queen

F o l l o w i n g the destruction of H e i d e l b e r g Castle and the pillaging of its f u r n i s h i n g s by troops of K i n g Louis X I V of France in 1689 and 1693, d u r i n g the Palatine W a r of Suc ­ cession, the fact that the C o u n t s Palatine and Electors of the R h i n e had assembled in their residence one of t h e most splendid collections of tapestries in G e r m a n y fell into oblivion.' T h e counts' self­image, derived f r o m their royal lineage, did not m e a n that they w e r e e x e m p t f r o m p e r m a n e n t c o m p e t i t i o n for status, r a n k , and prestige w i t h other princely families, such as the Habsburgs and their rival Wittelsbach cousins, the dukes of Bavaria. T h e r e f o r e , the C o u n t s Palatine could not neglect the use of the richest and most prestigious pic­

torial m e d i u m of t h e t i m e and t h e preferred m e a n s of princely p r o p a g a n d a to f u r t h e r p r o m o t e their family reputation. U n l i k e

most of their G e r m a n peers, they had b e g u n to s u m m o n master weavers to w o r k in H e i d e l b e r g in the 1430s.' T h i s explains the enthusiasm w i t h w h i c h the size and the richness of the Palatine tapestry collection w e r e praised by A n t o i n e de Lalaing, c o u n t of H o o g s t r a t e n and C u l e m b o r g , c h a m b e r ­ lain to t h e c o u r t of D u k e Philip the H a n d ­ some, the son of H o l y R o m a n E m p e r o r M a x i m i l i a n I. D e Lalaing was thus very well a c q u a i n t e d w i t h the c u r r e n t standards of B u r g u n d i a n c o u r t culture, against w h i c h all o t h e r f o r m s of princely display w e r e m e a s u r e d . O n the occasion of t h e duke's visit to the Palatinate to m e e t w i t h Elector Philip in the fall of 1503, de Lalaing a c k n o w l e d g e d in his diary that H e i d e l b e r g Castle and its f u r n i s h i n g s completely m a t c h e d t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s of splendor, even royal splendor, a j u d g m e n t based p r i m a r i l y o n the fact that he f o u n d all a p a r t m e n t s and halls lavishly h u n g w i t h expensive tapes­

tries.

3

D u r i n g the first half of the sixteenth century, the C o u n t s Palatine kept b u y i n g complete tapestry sets of biblical and m y t h o ­ logical stories directly f r o m the Netherlands.

T h e acquisitions of Electors Frederick II and O t t o H e n r y , b o t h great a d m i r e r s a n d passionate collectors of every k i n d of w o v e n splendor, added considerably to w h a t their predecessors had b r o u g h t t o g e t h e r since the reign of K i n g R u p e r t I at the b e g i n n i n g of the fifteenth century.

4

T h e collection was f u r t h e r a u g m e n t e d w h e n , in the early 1560s, Elector Frederick III succeeded in e n c o u r a g i n g refugees f r o m religious persecution in the s o u t h e r n N e t h e r l a n d s to settle in F r a n k e n t h a l , a small t o w n h a l f w a y b e t w e e n H e i d e l b e r g and W o r m s / A m o n g t h e m c a m e n u m b e r s of artists and craftsmen: f a m o u s painters such as Gillis van C o n i n x l o o and Pieter S c h o u b r o e c k , goldsmiths, jewelers, and t a p ­ estry weavers, most of t h e last c o m i n g

104

Originalveröffentlichung in: Campbell, Thomas P. ; Cleland, Elizabeth A. H. (Hrsgg.): Tapestry in the Baroque : new aspects of production

and patronage [Kongressband], New York 2010, S. 104-133

directly from Oudenaarde or having close ties to that city. Those weavers quickly installed new workshops in Frankenthal, which for about half a century made the town the most important center of tapestry production in Germany.'' Under the guid­

ance of master weaver Paulus Rubentz, these local workshops were soon, and at an increasing rate, able to supply the Heidelberg court with new, high­quality tapestries.

7

In an inventory of 1584, there are listed almost 450 figurative wall hangings, 263 of which are explicitely described as tapetzerey (tapes­

try) and 183 called Rucktucher (dossals).* It is a fair guess that thirty years later, in 1613, when Frederick V took his wife, Elizabeth Stuart, to Heidelberg,'­

1

the tapestry stock of the Counts Palatine well exceeded 500 pieces.

To satisfy his indulged wife's expecta­

tions, to enable her to continue the royal lifestyle to which she was accustomed,

10

the young Pfalsgrave accommodated his beloved "Englisch cleinod und Perlein"

(English jewel and pearl) in a newly erected palace, the "Englische Bau," which included a spectacular theater and ballroom on top of the "Dicker Turm" (giant tower), and he assigned Salomon de Caus to add an expan­

sive terrace garden, the famous Hortus Palatinus (fig. 1)." When she arrived, Eliza­

beth found that the interior of Heidelberg Castle "was superb beyond description:

the ceiling was painted al fresco, the walls were hung with tapestry; and a suite of ten rooms, including the knight's hall, the royal saloon, the silver chamber, and ante rooms, formed a complete Gothic palace."

1

­ Her own apartment was lavishly furnished; it is said that "two Rubens glowed upon her walls. Turkey carpets were strewn upon the floors of rooms hung with red and brown gilded leather. She was surrounded by

Fig. 1. J a c q u e s F o u q u i e r e s , View of the Hortus Palatinus and Heidelberg Castle, ca. 1620. O i l o n canvas, 178.5 x 263 c m . K u r p f a l z i s c h e s M u s e u m d e r Stadt H e i d e l b e r g (G 1822)

w r o u g h t - i r o n w o r k f r o m N u r n b e r g , heavily carved f u r n i t u r e covered w i t h velvets and silks or elaborately inlaid and m a n y e x q u i­

site bibelots of ivory and goldsmith's work.

H e r table was adorned w i t h massive silver plate and M u n i c h and B o h e m i a n glass. . . . T h e figures in the tapestries and on the plate and f u r n i t u r e w e r e not like those dis­

played in her father's palaces."'

3

T h o s e w e r e the happy, lighthearted days of a d a w n i n g n e w golden age, w h e n art, literature, music, and science flourished in Heidelberg,'

4

w h i c h u n f o r t u n a t e l y did n o t last even for a decade. Frederick's finally agreeing to accept the c r o w n of B o h e m i a in 1618 led straight into the outbreak of the T h i r t y Years' War. It was d u r i n g this short p e r i o d of lavish extravagance that the H e i d e l b e r g tapestry collection reached its peak. At this time, too, o u r story begins but w i t h a p r o ­ logue, staged in L o n d o n on Saint Valen­

tine's Day, Sunday, F e b r u a r y 14, 1613: the w e d d i n g day of Frederick and Elizabeth.

T H E P A L A T I N E W E D D I N G O F 1613 T h e m a r r i a g e of the h a n d s o m e Frederick V, f u t u r e elector of the R h i n e and p r e s u m e d leader of the Protestant U n i o n , and Eliza­

b e t h Stuart, the b e a u t i f u l d a u g h t e r of K i n g J a m e s I of E n g l a n d and Ireland (James VI of

Scotland), in L o n d o n in 1613, was a spec­

tacular event,'' and it was treated as such by the press. Publishing houses i m m e d i a t e l y covered the story in great detail, spreading it across all E u r o p e in several languages, just the way t h e international n e t w o r k s w o u l d d o today."'To scholars of cultural history, these texts together w i t h their illustrations offer an almost inexhaustible b o d y of i n f o r ­ m a t i o n about early s e v e n t e e n t h ­ c e n t u r y princely life and court ceremonies. T o art historians interested primarily in paintings and sculpture, however, t h e reports are a bit of a d i s a p p o i n t m e n t because even the f a m o u s examples that once decorated the palaces and chapels w e n t u n c o m m e n t e d o n in these accounts. If, on the other h a n d , w e shift o u r attention to the alternative p i c t o ­ rial m e d i u m that at the t i m e actually m a t ­

tered m o s t — t a p e s t r y — t h e texts b e c o m e m o r e satisfactory.

In public o p i n i o n today, tapestry qualifies as a m i n o r or an applied art, inferior in sta­

tus to the fine arts of painting, sculpture, and architecture, an attitude that is out of step w i t h the o p i n i o n s prevailing in the six­

t e e n t h and seventeenth centuries. To b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d the p h e n o m e n o n , it is necessary to look at sociohistorical, artistic, and c u l ­ tural d e v e l o p m e n t s of the period. In the first place, tapestries w e r e n o t h u n g for art's sake, n o t even if they w e r e designed by f a m o u s artists and w o v e n in t o p ­ q u a l i t y w o r k s h o p s . Instead, they w e r e symbols of p o w e r and w e a l t h , of t h e most v i r t u o u s princely magnificenza, as well as a m e a n s of e d u c a t i o n and, as will b e a r g u e d here, as sophisticated statecraft and shrewd d i p l o ­ macy.

1 7

For centuries, tapestries w e r e c o n ­ sidered to b e the most cherished possessions of t h e nobility. T h e y represented t h e richest and most prestigious pictorial m e d i u m of t h e t i m e , and consequently they developed i n t o the artifacts most fit to e x e m p l i f y the prevailing princely self­images. T h e r e f o r e , the display of carefully chosen narrative sets was a serious and w e l l ­ p l a n n e d visual state­

m e n t by their o w n e r s , a strong and widely r e c o g n i z e d act of selective p r o p a g a n d a that had to be taken seriously by the audiences.

In fact, it is precisely because of their g e n e r ­ ally a c k n o w l e d g e d public character that the chroniclers of t h e Palatine w e d d i n g told their readers a b o u t t h e tapestry decorations.

It goes w i t h o u t saying that such a n o t e ­ w o r t h y royal c e r e m o n y r e q u i r e d t h e use of a vast n u m b e r of tapestries to embellish b o t h t h e private lodgings and t h e official sites related to t h e event."

1

Right f r o m the start, w h e n Frederick paid an i n f o r m a l call o n Elizabeth the day after his arrival and reception in L o n d o n , the princess and her parents received h i m at W h i t e h a l l Palace, w h e r e Elizabeth's " a p a r t m e n t s had b e e n r e m o d e l e d in h o n o u r of his c o m i n g , and h u n g w i t h fresh tapestries of the history of A b e l " especially for the occasion.'

9

O n F e b ­ r u a r y 7, 1613, t h e day of Frederick's investi­

Tapestry in the Baroque

s^w

Wi

fe^l^Sl

Fig. 2. G e r r i t v a n H o n t h o r s t , Frederick V as King of Bohemia, 1634. O i l o n canvas, 212 x 143 c m . K u r p f a l z i s c h e s M u s e u m d e r Stadt H e i d e l b e r g (L 156)

Fig. 3. G e r r i t v a n H o n t h o r s t , Elizabeth Stuart as Queen of Bohemia, 1634. O i l o n canvas, 212 x 143 c m . K u r p f a l z i s c h e s M u s e u m der Stadt H e i d e l b e r g (L 157)

t u r e in the O r d e r of the Garter, Elizabeth t o o k u p residence at Saint James's Palace in the a p a r t m e n t s last occupied by her b r o t h e r the late P r i n c e H e n r y Frederick, w h i c h w e r e also fitted w i t h tapestries especially for her.

2 0

For t h e w e d d i n g , W h i t e h a l l C h a p e l was decorated w i t h at least t w o , possibly three, pieces f r o m the f a m o u s Acts of the Apostle tapestries,-

1

a series originally designed by Raphael in 1515 for Pope L e o X for the Sistine Chapel. T h e full-size car­

toons w e r e initially w o v e n in Brussels, the r e n o w n e d center of tapestry p r o d u c t i o n ,

in the w o r k s h o p of t h e master weaver and e n t r e p r e n e u r Pieter van Aelst. Later the c a r ­ toons w e r e sold, most likely to the w o r k ­ shop r u n by the D e r m o y e n family, a l t h o u g h o n e of t h e m was b o u g h t by a private collec­

tor f r o m Venice and was subsequently lost.~

D u r i n g the course of t h e sixteenth century, several m o r e sets w e r e w o v e n f r o m t h e Raphael c a r t o o n s — o r f r o m m e t i c u l o u s copies of t h e m — i n different Brussels w o r k ­ shops, i n c l u d i n g t h e set purchased by K i n g H e n r y VIII of E n g l a n d in 1542;

2

' part of this set was h u n g in W h i t e h a l l C h a p e l o n

Tales from the Tapestry Collection of Elector Palatine Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart 107

Fig. 4. The Healing of the Lame Man f r o m H e n r y VIII's set of t h e Acts of the Apostles. T a p e s t r y design by Raphael, w o v e n in an u n i d e n t i f i e d Brussels w o r k s h o p , ca. 1540-42.

W o o l , silk, a n d gilt- m e t a l - w r a p p e d t h r e a d , 386 x 566 c m (after r e m o v a l o f o u t e r borders).

F o r m e r l y Kaiser F r i e d r i c h M u s e u m , Berlin; p r e s e n t w h e r e a b o u t s u n k n o w n . P h o t o g r a p h : © J . Paul G e t t y T r u s t

r

•

MJM dN

J

v . '

^ ^ ^ • • w s i S t e ^ ^ i i

M&fciM* •«»•»»«••*•. i. s ^ A.

Fig. 5. Christ's Charge to Peter f r o m H e n r y VIII's set o f t h e Acts of the Apostles. T a p e s t r y design by R a p h a e l , w o v e n in a n u n i d e n t i ­ fied Brussels w o r k s h o p , ca. 1540­42. W o o l , silk, a n d g i l t ­ m e t a l ­ w r a p p e d t h r e a d , 386 x 566 c m (after r e m o v a l of o u t e r borders). F o r ­ m e r l y Kaiser F r i e d r i c h M u s e u m , B e r l i n ; p r e s e n t w h e r e a b o u t s u n k n o w n . P h o t o g r a p h :

© J . Paul G e t t y T r u s t

Mi

r w ^m

fi i

% M ' • 5

•. '..'S&afcifiSlri­'^^^^^^l

m

108

Tapestry in the Baroque

Fig. 6. G. Davis, The House of Lords, ca. 1830. Engraving. Photograph: after Margarita Russell, Visions of the Vroom and the Origins of Dutch Marine Painting (Leiden, 1983), p. 135, fig. 120b

t h e d a y o f t h e P a l a t i n e w e d d i n g . F r o m t h e r a t h e r a m b i g u o u s d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e f u r n i s h i n g s b y a n a n o n y m o u s c h r o n i c l e r f r o m t h e P a l a t i n a t e , t w o s c e n e s c a n b e i d e n t i f i e d : t h e Healing of the Lame Man (fig. 4), w i t h S a i n t s P e t e r a n d J o h n p r o m i­ n e n t l y i n t h e c e n t e r , w a s b e h i n d t h e a l t a r ; t o t h e r i g h t w a s Christ's Charge to Peter (fig. 5), w h i c h , p r o b a b l y b e c a u s e o f t h e flock o f s h e e p b e h i n d C h r i s t , w a s m i s i n t e r p r e t e d as t h e " G o o d S h e p h e r d . " T h e t a p e s t r y t o t h e l e f t , c a l l e d t h e " W e d d i n g at C a n a , "

c a n n o t b e l i n k e d b e y o n d d o u b t t o a n y o f t h e r e m a i n i n g p i e c e s i n t h e Acts of the Apostles s e r i e s .2 4

F r e d e r i c k a n d E l i z a b e t h p r o b a b l y l e a r n e d e v e n m o r e a b o u t t h e c l e v e r u s e o f f i g u r a t i v e t a p e s t r i e s as m e a n s o f s o p h i s t i c a t e d s t a t e c r a f t f r o m t h e d e c o r a t i o n o f t h e n e w b a n q u e t i n g h a l l , a n e p h e m e r a l s t r u c t u r e b u i l t t o h o s t t h e s t a t e d i n n e r s t h a t w e r e p a r t o f t h e c e l ­ e b r a t i o n o f t h e b e t r o t h a l as w e l l as t h e w e d ­ d i n g i t s e l f . T h e r e t h e t h r o n e c a n o p y w a s l a v i s h l y a d o r n e d w i t h g o l d e n t a p e s t r i e s , a n d t h e b e n c h e s w e r e c o v e r e d w i t h p r e c i o u s c a r ­ p e t s . I n a d d i t i o n , t h e m a s t e r o f c e r e m o n i e s , S i r L e w i s L e w k e n o r , o r d e r e d t h e d i s p l a y o f a m a g n i f i c e n t set o f t e n t a p e s t r i e s o f t h e Defeat of the Spanish Armada, w h i c h r e p r e s e n t e d o n e o f E n g l a n d ' s g r e a t e s t v i c t o r i e s at sea.2 5

Tales from the Tapestry Collection of Elector Palatine Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart

5Sv3f

r-:

• F

iJ I

W .

r

."W

V *

fet

1 I

Fig. 7. A u g u s t i n e R y t h e r , Sir Francis Drake Takes de Valdez's Galleon, and the Bear and Mary Rose Pursue the Enemy. E n g r a v i n g after a c h a r t d r a w i n g b y R o b e r t A d a m s , 1588, p u b l i s h e d in A Discourse Concerning the Spanish Fleete itwadinge Englande in the year 1588 ( L o n d o n , 1590). N a t i o n a l M a r i t i m e M u s e u m , G r e e n w i c h , L o n d o n

T h e s e h i g h l y p r a i s e d t a p e s t r i e s d i d n o t b e l o n g t o t h e E n g l i s h m o n a r c h . T h e y w e r e m a d e f o r L o r d C h a r l e s H o w a r d o f E f f i n g h a m , L o r d H i g h A d m i r a l a n d c o m­ m a n d e r o f t h e E n g l i s h n a v a l f o r c e s a g a i n s t t h e A r m a d a .2' ' Q u e e n E l i z a b e t h I d e a r l y a d m i r e d t h e s e t , a n d , a t t e n d i n g a f e a s t at L o r d H o w a r d ' s r e s i d e n c e , w i s h e d t o h a v e it, b u t h e w a s u n w i l l i n g t o s h a r e .2 7T h e c o u r t o f f i c i a l s w h o o r g a n i z e d t h e w e d d i n g f e s t i v i ­ t i e s n o w b o r r o w e d t h e Armada t a p e s t r i e s a n d h a d t h e m t a k e n t o W h i t e h a l l P a l a c e f o r t h e o c c a s i o n . T h r e e y e a r s l a t e r , i n 1616, L o r d H o w a r d , w h o h a d f a l l e n i n t o a d v e r s e financial c i r c u m s t a n c e s , s o l d t h e set t o K i n g J a m e s , w h o t r a n s f e r r e d it t o t h e R o y a l

W a r d r o b e i n t h e T o w e r o f L o n d o n . O n b e h a l f o f O l i v e r C r o m w e l l , t h e set w a s h u n g p e r m a n e n t l y i n t h e H o u s e o f L o r d s , a n d it w a s l o s t i n t h e W e s t m i n s t e r P a l a c e fire o f 1834.2* T h e i m p r e s s i o n o f t h e 1613 i n t e r i o r d e c o r a t i o n o f t h e i m p r o v i s e d b a n q u e t i n g h a l l w i t h its l a v i s h l y c a r p e t e d floor a n d b e n c h e s , t h r o n e c a n o p y , a n d t h e Armada t a p e s t r i e s h u n g c l o s e l y a r o u n d t h e w a l l s m u s t n o t h a v e d i f f e r e d m u c h f r o m w h a t is k n o w n o f t h e f u r n i s h i n g o f t h e H o u s e o f L o r d s s h o r t l y b e f o r e its d e s t r u c ­ t i o n (fig. 6).

T h e Armada set i l l u s t r a t e d w i t h g r e a t c a r e a n d a c c u r a c y t h e s u c c e s s i v e e n g a g e m e n t s a n d t a c t i c a l m a n e u v e r s o f t h e t w o f l e e t s i n

110

Tapestry in the Baroque

-'-N^i^-j^T:----^ '''•SjsgBaBya&ay K ^^^j^^^^^^l^liat^^a^r

i P f m K I M ^ i B ' i f l i W f t j S P W ^ t f i p § fey ^ A ^ ^ ^ ^ < a t e ^ m M b ^ a a f f l i

' V - V . *.

WMt

mm m

^ttlm

ft

V I

m

mm

_-.V

rz

affigss

m ^•i ami

HE

• J r u - ^ p^T-*^

ne » i * « f w i& wa 'mm M^W^W

5S

-iU-.—

- ^ s ^ u r t o

Fig. 8. Sir Francis Drake Takes de Valdez's Galleon, and the Bear and Mary Rose Pursue the Enemy. E n g r a v i n g a f t e r a D e l f t t a p e s t r y f r o m a set o f t h e Story of the Spanish Armada, i n J o h n P i n e ' s The Tapestry Hangings of the House of Lords . . . ( L o n d o n , 1739). T h e

M e t r o p o l i t a n M u s e u m o f A r t , N e w Y o r k , T h e E l i s h a W h i t t e l s e y C o l l e c t i o n , T h e E l i s h a W h i t t e l s e y F u n d , 1963 (63.608.1).

P h o t o g r a p h : T h e P h o t o g r a p h S t u d i o , T h e M e t r o p o l i t a n M u s e u m o f A r t , N e w Y o r k

the English C h a n n e l , f r o m the first a p p e a r ­ ance of the Spanish ships t h i r t y miles s o u t h ­ east of T h e Lizard in C o r n w a l l to their defeat off the coast of Gravelines near Calais and their disastrous retreat a r o u n d Scotland and Ireland and back to Spain. T h e tapes­

tries w e r e designed by the D u t c h d r a f t s m a n H e n d r i c k Cornelisz V r o o m , w h o also painted the cartoons, and they w e r e w o v e n over a p e r i o d of f o u r years, 1592­95, in t h e studio of the master weaver Francois Spier­

ing of D e l f t . T h e y cost the e n o r m o u s sum of 1,582 pounds.

2 9

T h e focus of Vroom's compositions was t h e sailing f o r m a t i o n of the ships, w h i c h w e r e depicted f r o m the o p e n sea in a p a n o r a m i c view and at a scale

large e n o u g h for the inclusion of detailed events. As a guideline for his designs, V r o o m received chart d r a w i n g s by R o b e r t A d a m s , Supervisor of the Q u e e n ' s Buildings and r e n o w n e d p a i n t e r ­ c a r t o g r a p h e r , w h o had sailed w i t h the English fleet and witnessed its epic victory. H i s records are probably t h e best c o n t e m p o r a r y evidence of t h e t w o fleets' sailing orders. T w o years later,

Adams's charts w e r e published by A u g u s t i n e R y t h e r to illustrate the English translation of Petruccio U b a l d i n i ' s treatise Expeditonis Hispaniorutn in Angliam Vera Descriptio Anno Domini MDLXXXVUI (fig. 7).

30

T h a n k s to J o h n Pine's engravings in his 1739 m o n o g r a p h The Tapestry Hangings of the

Tales from the Tapestry Collection of Elector Palatine Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart

1 1 1

House of Lords, w e k n o w the appearance of each individual tapestry in the set. Pine showed almost prophetic insight into the fate of the set in the preface to this a m b i­

tious publication w h e n he w r o t e , "because T i m e , or Accident, or M o t h may deface these valuable Shadows, w e have endeav­

o u r e d to preserve their likeness."

3

'

J u x t a p o s i n g Pine's e n g r a v i n g of the tapes­

t r y Sir Francis Drake Takes de Valdez's Gal­

leon, and the Bear and Mary Rose Pursue the Enemy (fig. 8) w i t h Ryther's e n g r a v i n g of Adams's chart of the same episode (fig. 7), one admires the skill and i n g e n u i t y of Vroom's translation of his models i n t o large­scale tapestry cartoons. A l t h o u g h faithful to Adams's m i n u t e cartographic records of the military strategies of attack and retreat, Vroom's designs succeeded magnificently in c o n v e r t i n g Adams's bird's­

eye layouts into vividly descriptive p a n ­ o r a m i c scenes. Most of the charts depicted t w o consecutive actions on one map, and V r o o m followed that pattern. Occasionally, however, he emulated coastal scenes in his cartoons, pictured the ships as observed f r o m o p e n shore, and added picturesque topographical details of the distant coastline along the h o r i z o n . In addition, each tapes­

try was s u r r o u n d e d by a w i d e decorative b o r d e r c o n t a i n i n g lifesize portraits of the c o m m a n d e r s of the English fleet, each set in a m e d a l l i o n inscribed w i t h the officer's n a m e and that of his ship; on each piece, the English coat of arms and the device

DIEU ET MON DROIT h o v e r a b o v e t h e

battle scenes.

32

T h e idea of c o m m e m o r a t i n g a military victory in the tapestry m e d i u m was not new, but o n e m i g h t w o n d e r w h y the display of the Armada tapestries d u r i n g a w e d d i n g c e r e m o n y was so i m p o r t a n t that the k i n g w o u l d agree to b o r r o w tapestries f r o m the Lord H i g h A d m i r a l . E v e r y b o d y k n e w that they w e r e not the p r o p e r t y of the c r o w n . Further, w e must r e m e m b e r that at the death of K i n g H e n r y VIII in 1547 the stock of pictorial tapestry a d m i n i s t e r e d by the Royal W a r d r o b e contained m o r e than 2,700

pieces, some of w h i c h had b e e n designed explicitly to suit the size and needs of t h e old B a n q u e t i n g H a l l . " A l t h o u g h the collec­

tion may have b e e n depleted over the past decades,

3 4

it definitely was n o t for a lack of choice that led to the king's b o r r o w i n g of the Armada set. So w h y w o u l d the master of ceremonies, Sir Lewis L e w k e n o r , and his officer of assistance, Sir J o h n Finet, have p r o p o s e d to J a m e s I to pick such a m a r t i a l t h e m e to f r a m e a happy p a r t y gathered to enjoy the king's only daughter's w e d d i n g banquet? T h e answer is brief: T h e decision to display the Armada tapestries resulted f r o m t h e h i g h l y stylized customs of d i p l o ­ m a c y and its c o m m o n c o d e of c o n d u c t ; it was m e a n t and u n d e r s t o o d as a m e a n s of sophisticated statecraft.

W h e n w o r d started to spread that Frederick and Elizabeth, both representing p o w e r f u l Protestant countries, w e r e about to marry, Spain and t h e Habsburgs, and b e h i n d t h e m the pope, b e c a m e allies in t r y i n g to prevent t h e w e d d i n g . T h e y o r d e r e d their respective ambassadors at the English c o u r t — D o n Alonso de Velasco (May 1610­August 1613) and ambassador e x t r a o r d i n a r y D o n P e d r o de Ziiniga (July 1612­July 1613) f r o m Spain, and F e r d i n a n d de Boischot (January 1610­

D e c e m b e r 1615) f r o m the Spanish N e t h e r ­ lands

3 5

—to sabotage t h e negotiations.

Surprisingly, they w e r e supported not only by the king's favorite and privy councillor R o b e r t C a r r , b u t also by Q u e e n A n n e , w h o w o u l d rather have had Elizabeth convert to C a t h o l i c i s m and m a r r y a Spanish p r i n c e t h a n see her d a u g h t e r b e c o m e Goddewife Palsgrave, forced to live at a shabby c o u r t " w i t h o u t e n o u g h tapestry to cover the bare walls."

3

''

A f t e r these m a c h i n a t i o n s failed, the ambassadors w e r e n o t v e r y well liked by t h e Protestant party s u p p o r t i n g the m a t c h of Frederick and Elizabeth, and their partici­

pation in the w e d d i n g c e r e m o n i e s probably lessened.

37

O n the o t h e r h a n d , as accredited diplomatic representatives of i m p o r t a n t E u r o p e a n states, they could n o t simply not b e invited, so they w e r e asked, along w i t h

Tapestry in the Baroque

other ambassadors in L o n d o n at the t i m e — Samuel Spifame, Seigneur de Bisseaux et Passy f r o m France;

3

* A n t o n i o Foscarini f r o m Venice (July 1 6 1 1 - D e c e m b e r i6i5);"

J

and N o e l C a r o n f r o m the S t a t e s - G e n e r a l

4 0

— to j o i n t h e p a r t y at W h i t e h a l l on t w o c o n ­ secutive days. In t h e n e w b a n q u e t i n g hall, the ambassadors had to sit together in a spe­

cial loge closest to t h e royal couple and therefore right u n d e r n e a t h the Armada t a p ­ estries. T h e r e is n o d o u b t that e v e r y b o d y w h o e x p e r i e n c e d the feasting in this e n v i ­ r o n m e n t laden w i t h m e a n i n g , Protestants and Catholics alike, clearly u n d e r s t o o d the u n d e r l y i n g message of the Palatine w e d d i n g : the m a r r i a g e of Frederick and Elizabeth was n o t only an affair of personal affection, it also c o n f i r m e d the alliance of t w o p o w e r f u l Protestant states as part of a political strat­

egy m e a n t to secure the supremacy of the Protestant cause in central and n o r t h e r n E u r o p e , of w h i c h at the t i m e the defeat of the Spanish A r m a d a had b e c o m e the most proudly cherished t u r n i n g point in history.

Since neither D o n Velasco nor de Boischot was keen to confess to his sovereign that he had participated in an official royal event at w h i c h the most s h a m e f u l and disgraceful defeat of his h o m e c o u n t r y and its r u l i n g family was celebrated in such a p r o m i n e n t way, b o t h stayed h o m e voluntarily. T h e Spanish ambassador excused himself because of sudden illness, a tactic that had w o r k e d for h i m before. But w o r d spread early that " t h e Spanish was, or w o u l d be sick," and that t h e ambassador of A r c h d u k e Albert of Austria, w h o g o v e r n e d the s o u t h ­ ern Netherlands,

4

' had also m a d e a "sullen excuse."

4 2

T o Sir J o h n Finet, the apparently furious de Boischot p r o d u c e d a rather strange and embarrassing excuse: that he, b e i n g ambassador of a sovereign m o n a r c h — w h i c h , by the way, was n o t t r u e — w o u l d n o t accept that the representative of Venice,

"a m e a n e Republique, g o v e r n e d by a sort of Burghers, w h o had but an h a n d f u l ] of Territory," had also b e e n asked to the fes­

tivities.

41

T h i s was n o t a very c o m p e l l i n g a r g u m e n t , b u t rather an obvious pretext n o t

fit to fool anybody. E v e r y b o d y at c o u r t i m m e d i a t e l y r e c o g n i z e d this shallow excuse to be sheer rhetoric. I n d e e d the ambassadors of the d o g e of Venice w e r e always very well received and respected at every princely c o u r t in E u r o p e and b e y o n d , and that included H a b s b u r g territories such as Spain, Austria, and the southern Netherlands.

4 4

O n e could even say that the d e m e a n o r of the Venetian ambassadors b e l o n g e d a m o n g the most splendid performances at any stately c o u r t ceremony. Evidently, the subliminal message of t h e Armada tapestries lent for the Palatine w e d d i n g was well u n d e r s t o o d by its first and foremost addressees, D o n Alonso de Velasco and F e r d i n a n d de Boischot, and acted on properly by their absence. As a result, appearances w e r e formally kept u p and b o t h sides saved face, avoiding all seri­

ous m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g s that m i g h t easily have ended in a diplomatic disaster.

F R E D E R I C K V A N D E L I Z A B E T H S T U A R T AS C O L L E C T O R S O F T A P E S T R I E S

W i t h Frederick and Elizabeth, the prospects of increasing t h e tapestry collection of t h e C o u n t s Palatine w e r e most favorable. D e s ­ ignated a m o n g t h e e n t o u r a g e to a c c o m p a n y the princess to h e r n e w h o m e in H e i d e l b e r g w e r e t w o " B e t t ­ u n d Tapetzerey v e r w a l t e r "

(bed and tapestry curators) as well as " z w e y diener so Tapetzerey u f f h e n g e n " (two valets specializing in the h a n g i n g of tapestries).

4

' T h e r e was n o shortage of w o r k for these specialists, given that on t h e occasion of Elizabeth's w e d d i n g , the D u t c h States­

G e n e r a l had lavishly b e s t o w e d her w i t h tapestries f r o m the w o r k s h o p of Francois Spiering of Delft: a t e n ­ p i e c e set of the Deeds of Scipio (see Ebeltje H a r t k a m p ­ J o n x i s , " M a n n e r i s t , B a r o q u e , and Classi­

cist," fig. 2)

46

and a six­piece set of t h e Story of Diana (fig. 9). T h e designs for the Deeds of Scipio are attributed to Karel van M a n d e r II.

T h e Diana set is most likely to be identified w i t h the editio princeps of Spiering's so­

called small Diana series, w h i c h m i g h t have b e e n designed by David Vinckboons.

4 7

Tales from the Tapestry Collection of Elector Palatine Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart

T h e s e tapestries w e r e soon a u g m e n t e d by a set o f t e n panels of the Story of Samson that Frederick purchased f r o m D u t c h dealers w h o had c o m e to the Palatinate: Daniel Steurbout, w h o had relatives in F r a n k e n - thal,

4

" and B a r t o l o m m e o Balbani,

4

'-' b o t h f r o m A n t w e r p . It t u r n e d out that they had deceived the elector by overstating the q u a l­

ity and inflating the price.

50

T h e Story of Samson set was o n e of several reeditions (see Nello Forti Grazzini, " O n the Tapes­

tries in S e v e n t e e n t h ­ C e n t u r y Milan,"

fig. i) of a series first w o v e n in 1610 by the master weaver Jan Raes II in Brussels for C a r d i n a l Scipione Borghese, n e p h e w of Pope Paul V. T h e cartoons had been c o m ­ missioned a half c e n t u r y earlier by H e n r y II of France but w e r e left u n f i n i s h e d w h e n the k i n g died in 1559. T h e y r e m a i n e d in Brussels until the early seventeenth century, w h e n they came to the attention of the papal n u n c i o G u i d o Bentivoglio, w h o was acting as C a r d i n a l Borghese's agent in Flanders and brokered the deal.

51

Steurbout and Balbani had b o u g h t their set f r o m Frans Sweerts in A n t w e r p , a f r e q u e n t business p a r t n e r of the Raes family w o r k s h o p , and they later resold it to Frederick V. T h i s set m a t c h e d in height and quality the Story of Samson tapestries n o w in the Philadelphia M u s e u m of Art (figs. 10, n).

sa

T o m a i n t a i n their g r o w i n g inventory, in 1616 Frederick and Elizabeth n a m e d the master weaver Justus Fankans (Josse van Kaens), f r o m nearby Frankenthal, to b e tapissier de cour at Heidelberg," and three years later o n e Pierre B o n j o u r assumed the same position, similarly holding the post of c o u r t tailor, w h i c h also put h i m in charge of the administration and preservation of the tapestry stock in the Tapezerey­Gewolb.

5 4

T h e prince and princess shared a great personal interest in tapestries and their use as m e a n i n g f u l r o o m decorations?

5

W e can infer this f r o m letters that Frederick w r o t e to his w i f e w h e n he traveled w i t h o u t her, to keep her i n f o r m e d about his trips and related occurrences. For example, in 1620,

w h e n he was visiting t h e G r a n d Marshal of B o h e m i a , Baronet Bertold B o h o b u d of Leipa (Ceska Lipa), h e r e p o r t e d h o w richly his host's palace was decorated w i t h tapes­

tries: "I visited the house of t h e B a r o n of Leipa, w h i c h is certainly very b e a u t i f u l w i t h a g o o d n u m b e r of tapestries, and n o n e m o r e beautiful. I can truly say that except for Heidelberg and M u n i c h I k n o w of f e w houses that have so many."

5

'' F r o m W o l t e n ­ biittel, Frederick w r o t e dully to his wife, that D u k e Friedrich U l r i c h of B r a u n s c h w e i g ­ Wolfenbiittel possessed fine paintings b u t n o tapestries at all,

57

an o d d observation since his host's ancestors had long ago estab­

lished at their c o u r t a professional w o r k s h o p r u n by Flemish master weavers that was still o p e r a t i n g u n d e r the direction of B o l d e w i n of Brussels d u r i n g the first decade of the seventeenth century.

5 8

A particular h i g h l i g h t in t h e history of t h e electorial tapestry collection is i n d i ­ cated by t w o letters sent to H e i d e l b e r g by Frans Sweerts in t h e s u m m e r of 1618. In t h e m Sweerts requested that his personal f r i e n d J a n G r u t e r , t h e learned librarian of the Bibliotheca Palatina, assist h i m in his efforts to b r o k e r tapestries for t h e elector.

59

Sweerts was in possession of t e m p t i n g pieces, a m o n g t h e m r e w e a v i n g s of a n e w series designed by Peter Paul R u b e n s , the Story of Decius Mus, as well as yet a n o t h e r r e e d i t i o n of Raphael's Acts of the Apostles."

0

W h i l e w e d o n o t k n o w w h e t h e r Frederick and Elizabeth were interested in Sweerts's offer, it is certain that n o such transaction was ever carried out. T h e troubles rising f r o m t h e g a t h e r i n g s t o r m of t h e T h i r t y Years' W a r w e r e to alter substantially and p e r m a n e n t l y t h e y o u n g elector's p r e ­ occupations.

W h e n Frederick was p r o c l a i m e d k i n g by the Protestant estates of B o h e m i a in 1619, the c o u r t relocated f r o m H e i d e l b e r g to Prague. T h e n e w royal status was m e m o r i ­ alized by a r e c t a n g u l a r armorial tapestry and t w o table carpets, on b o t h of w h i c h the Palatine and B o h e m i a n coats of arms w e r e c o m b i n e d w i t h the O r d e r of the G a r t e r / "

Tapestry in the Baroque

Fig. 9. The Story of Diana and Callislo f r o m t h e s o - c a l l e d small set o f t h e Story of Diana. T a p e s t r y d e s i g n a t t r i b u t e d to D a v i d V i n c k b o o n s , w o v e n in t h e w o r k s h o p o f Francois S p i e r i n g , D e l f t , ca. 1613-20. W o o l a n d silk, 260 x 390 c m . P r e s e n t w h e r e a b o u t s u n k n o w n . P h o t o g r a p h : a f t e r sale cat., S o t h e b y ' s , A m s t e r d a m , D e c e m b e r 3, 2002, no. 12

w h i c h K i n g J a m e s I had bestowed p e r s o n­

ally o n his son­in­law. W h e n Frederick accepted the B o h e m i a n c r o w n , he led his c o u n t r y straight i n t o the T h i r t y Years' War.

A f t e r his troops lost the decisive Battle at W h i t e M o u n t a i n in 1620, t h e u n f o r t u n a t e W i n t e r K i n g and his family had to leave P r a g u e and flee to exile in the N e t h e r l a n d s , w h e r e his uncle Frederick H e n r y , P r i n c e of O r a n g e , was the stadtholder." At first, the couple, n o w royal b u t nearly broke, lived in a t o w n house in T h e H a g u e called the W a s ­ senaer H o f , and later they m o v e d d u r i n g the s u m m e r s to a small, newly built castle at R h e n e n on the river Rhine.'" To decorate these lodgings w i t h at least some degree of

dignity, they had sent f r o m H e i d e l b e r g the most valuable tapestry sets of the Palatine c o l l e c t i o n — v a l u a b l e in the sense b o t h of m o n e t a r y w o r t h and of historical and e m o ­ tional significance because of their subjects, w h i c h w e r e taken f r o m the history of the r u l i n g Wittelsbach family.''

4

T h e tapestries that r e m a i n e d in H e i d e l b e r g w e r e c o m ­ pletely lost in the e n s u i n g t h r e e decades of w a r t i m e chaos. T h e latest biographical a c c o u n t of a H e i d e l b e r g tapestry weaver f r o m this period deals w i t h the tapissier de com: soon after t h e capital of the Palatinate was c o n q u e r e d by Imperial and Bavarian troops in 1622, Justus F a n k a n s r e t u r n e d to Frankenthal.

6 5

Talcs from the Tapestry Collection of Elector Palatine Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart

115

Fig. 10. Samson Offers Honey to His Parents f r o m a set of t h e Story of Samson. T a p e s t r y design by Gillisz M e c h e l a o n , w o v e n in t h e w o r k s h o p o f j a n Raes, Brussels, ca. 1625.

W o o l a n d silk, 396.2 x 467 c m . Philadelphia M u s e u m of A r t (1945-82-1)

3 « 3 _{• .}

m

lift

&

*« v j f r

m _5f m

a

1U

Fig. 11. Delilali Cutting Samson's Hair f r o m a set of t h e Story of Samson. T a p e s t r y d e s i g n by Gillisz M e c h e l a o n , w o v e n in t h e w o r k s h o p of J a n Raes, Brussels, ca. 1625. W o o l a n d silk, 396.2 x 670.6 c m . P h i l a d e l p h i a M u s e u m of A r t , G i f t o f C l i f f o r d L e w i s Jr. (1946-81-1). P h o t o g r a p h : R i c h E c h e l m e y e r

116 Tapestry in the Baroque

Yet neither financial hardship n o r the tribulations that inevitably arose f r o m exile could prevent the W i n t e r K i n g and Q u e e n f r o m the purchase of n e w tapestries on a large scale. T h e painter and master weaver Karel van M a n d e r II, w h o , t o g e t h e r w i t h his k n i g h t e d p a r t n e r Nicolaas Snouckaert von Schraplau, had r u n a tapestry w o r k s h o p in the f o r m e r Saint A n n a monastery in Delft since 1615, died in F e b r u a r y 1623. Probably soon thereafter, Frederick V b o u g h t a set

o f c a r t o o n s o f t h e Story of Alexander tin-

Great f r o m Van Mander's estate for the s u m of 2,000 guilders. T h e set consisted of n i n e pieces a d d i n g up to a total of m o r e than

190 square ells for t h e m a i n narrative scenes and a n o t h e r 67'A square ells for t w o differ­

ent designs for the borders; it had already b e e n used f o u r times as a w e a v i n g model.

6

'' U n f o r t u n a t e l y , the Alexander series t u r n e d out to b e a classic shelf w a r m e r , and w h e n , in 1624, the f i r m was finally taken over by the Spiering family, they f o u n d three c o m ­ plete sets still unsold."

7

Today Van M a n d e r ' s Alexander tapestries are best k n o w n f r o m a c o m p l e t e set of n i n e signed pieces w o v e n b e t w e e n 1617 and 1619 that once h u n g in the Villa San D o n a t o , near Florence, as part of the collection of Prince Anatole D e m i d o f f until it was auctioned in 1880 and subse­

quently spread a m o n g various m u s e u m s and institutions in E u r o p e and the U n i t e d States."

8

W e d o n o t k n o w w h y Frederick preferred a c q u i r i n g the cartoons rather than the already finished and easily available tap­

estries f r o m the Van M a n d e r w o r k s h o p , especially since he evidently never presented t h e m to any o t h e r weaver for e x e c u t i o n .

In addition, there was a very rich canopy draped over a bedstead, w h i c h Frederick presented as a gift to his uncle the stadt­

holder."

9

O n special occasions, the alliance b e t w e e n the t w o princes, b o t h leaders of m a j o r Protestant states, was f u r t h e r displayed by the use of t w o table carpets that showed the coats of arms of b o t h families.

7

" An a n o n y m o u s dealer f r o m Leiden delivered a

s i x ­ p i e c e set o f t h e Story of Joseph f o r t h e

substantial sum of 8,000 talers, w h i c h

embellished the r o o m s of R h e n e n Castle in 1633.

71

A n d even after Frederick's p r e m a ­ t u r e death in 1632, w h e n the family's already precarious financial situation deteriorated further, Elizabeth c o n t i n u e d to buy tapes­

tries. At least three expensive sets, w h i c h in 1661 qualified as " n e w e tapezerey," most likely w e r e recent acquisitions and should therefore b e associated w i t h the patronage of the W i n t e r Q u e e n : nine hangings portrayed landscapes w i t h h u n t i n g scenes,

72

a set of eight represented the Story of Tobias,

73

and an eight­piece set of the Story of Cleopatra h u n g in Elizabeth's private d i n i n g r o o m (fig. 12).

74

T h e last was b o u g h t in T h e H a g u e , likely f r o m Pieter de Cracht, a tapestry dealer f r o m A m s t e r d a m , w h o ran workshops in G o u d a and nearby S c h o o n h o v e n . In 1646 D e Cracht had taken over the tapestry w o r k ­ shop that belonged to his father­in­law, Jacques N a u w i n c x , w h o long had o w n e d the

cartoons of the Cleopatra series. But it was again Karel van M a n d e r II, w h o had initi­

ated the design of t h e set to b e w o v e n in his o w n studio in Delft; yet the project failed because of Karel's death in 1623. His car­

toons passed into the o w n e r s h i p of the Spiering workshop, w h e r e they w e r e adapted by an u n k n o w n painter, w h o e x t e n d e d the series to a total of eight pieces. In 1631 the w h o l e set of cartoons was o w n e d by the N a u w i n c x studio, w h e n c e , shortly after 1645, Pieter de C r a c h t started to p r o d u c e the Cleopatra series not only for the W i n t e r Q u e e n but also for m a n y other customers.

7 5

R A P H A E L ' S ACTS OF THE

APOSTLES A N D R U B E N S ' S STORY

OF DECIUS MUS: A N O F F E R O N E C O U L D N O T R E F U S E ?

To date, m o r e t h a n fifty individual tapes­

tries can b e identified in the Palatine inventories and linked b e y o n d d o u b t to acquisitions m a d e by Frederick V and Eliza­

b e t h Stuart. H o w e v e r , even t h o u g h the p u r ­ chase of Raphael's Acts of the Apostles and Rubens's Story of Decius Mus never m a t e r i a l ­ ized, t h e 1618 offer by Frans Sweerts to deliver to H e i d e l b e r g c o m p l e t e sets of those

Talcs from the Tapestry Collection of Elector Palatine Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart

tapestries marks the zenith of the history of the Palatine tapestry collection. Praise for Raphael's series was boundless at the time, particularly at the English c o u r t . For the poet H e n r y Peacham, w h o had had a great affection for p a i n t i n g and the arts since he was a y o u n g boy,

76

the Acts of the Apostles set that was purchased by H e n r y VIII and h u n g in W h i t e h a l l Palace was the w o r k most likely to ensure the f a m e of that artist for eternity: " T h e fame of Raphael Vrbine at this t i m e [1518] was so great, that he was sought for and employed by the greatest Princes of Europe, as namely, the Popes, Adrian and Leo: Francis the first, K i n g of France: Henry the eight, K i n g of England;

the D u k e s of Florence, Vrbine, Mantua, and divers others. T h o s e stately h a n g i n g s of Arras, c o n t a i n i n g the Histoire of Saint Paul out of the Acts (than w h i c h , eye never beheld m o r e absolute Art, and w h i c h long since you m i g h t have seen in the b a n q u e t - ting house at W h i t e - h a l l ) w e r e wholly of his invention, b o u g h t (if I bee n o t deceived) by K i n g Henry the eight of the State of

Venice, w h e r e Raphaell Vrbine died; I have n o certainty: but sure I am, his m e m o r y and i m m o r t a l l F a m e are like to live in the world for ever."

7 7

Sweerts's letters to Jan G r u t e r c o n c e r n i n g the Acts and Decius Mus sets are also of interest as sources of factual material c o n ­ c e r n i n g tapestry p r o d u c t i o n . First, Sweerts, in u n c o v e r i n g the swindlers Steurbout and Balbani, w h o had sold the Samson t a p ­ estries to the elector, revealed the pricing system of the A n t w e r p tapestry merchants:

7 8

o n e square ell, roughly 70 by 70 centimeters, could be w o v e n for 18, 20, or 24 guilders, d e p e n d i n g on the quality of the w e a v i n g and the materials used. At the end of Sweerts's second letter, there is an e x t r a o r ­ d i n a r y detail. H e w r o t e of a set of some

" g o u w d e n tapissereyen" (golden tapestries) that A r c h d u k e Albert of Austria had recently b e s t o w e d on Archbishop J o h a n n S c h w e i k h a r d von K r o n b e r g , the elector of M a i n z , n e i g h b o r i n g the Palatinate. If F r e d ­

erick w i s h e d to d r a w level, and Sweerts of course hoped he w o u l d , the dealer w o u l d be happy to deliver exactly the same h i g h q u a l ­ ity for the b r e a t h t a k i n g price of 66 guilders per square ell.

79

Second, and m o r e i m p o r t a n t , Sweerts claimed that he o w n e d the c a r t o o n s of Raphael's Acts of the Apostles series: "Ick heb tot Brussel eenen p a t r o o n de Actis A p o s ­ t o l o r u m geschildert van Raphael U r b i n . " It is hard to decide w h e t h e r he was r e f e r r i n g to the original cartoons or to copies that had b e e n used in the p r o d u c t i o n of various later editions of the set. T h e phrasing,

"geschildert" (painted) by Raphael of U r b i n o , should probably n o t b e taken liter­

ally. In 1573, the original c a r t o o n s w e r e described in a letter w r i t t e n to C a r d i n a l Granvelle, archbishop of M e c h e l e n and adviser to the Spanish C r o w n , as still in Brussels b u t as far t o o d a m a g e d to be used any longer for weaving. Leaving Sweerts's letter aside, t h e n e x t d o c u m e n t a r y evidence reveals that in 1623 t h e c a r t o o n s w e r e in G e n o a , probably in the possession of the n o b l e m a n Andrea Imperiale,

8 0

and w e r e sold to P r i n c e Charles, t h e y o u n g e r b r o t h e r of Elizabeth Stuart, to b e f u r t h e r used in the newly f o u n d e d Royal Tapestry M a n u f a c t o r y at Mortlake.

8 1

Interestingly, in the very same letter o f j u l y 18, 1618, Sweerts r e p o r t e d back to G r u t e r a b o u t his i n t e n t i o n to sell the first t w o editions of Rubens's Decius Mus tapestries to customers in Genoa.

8 2

T h e a g r e e m e n t for t h e w e a v i n g of the Decius Mus series was d r a w n u p in A n t w e r p in N o v e m b e r 1616 by Frans Sweerts and Jan Raes II on the o n e h a n d , and Franco

C a t t a n e o , a m e r c h a n t f r o m G e n o a , on the other. T h e contract covered the m a k i n g of t w o sets of tapestries representing the

" H i s t o r y of the R o m a n C o n s u l Decius M u s , " w h o voluntarily lay d o w n his life for the sake of his troops and his h o m e c o u n ­ try."

3

T h e t h e m e , b o r r o w e d f r o m the R o m a n historian Livy and interpreted by R u b e n s as an e x e m p l a r y act of patriotism,

8 4

was not a c o m m o n one in art. But w h e n Sweerts first

Tapestry in the Baroque

Fig. 12. The Banquet of Cleopatra from a set of the Story of Cleopatra. Tapestry cartoon by an unidentified 17th- century Flemish artist after a design by Karel van Mander II, woven in the workshop ofjacques Nauwincx or Pieter de Cracht, Gouda or Schoonhoven, ca. 1625-50. Wool and silk, 351 x 434 cm. Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon

took the initiative for h a v i n g it designed, he m i g h t well have b e e n inspired by his friend Gruter, w h o recently had published a criti­

cal edition of Livy.*

5

T h e Decius Mus cycle marks Rubens's successful debut into tapes­

try design. T h e preparatory w o r k lasted for almost t w o years b u t finally resulted in eight m o n u m e n t a l cartoons, all painted exquisitely in oil on fine canvas by the artist and his workshop: six models for big h a n g i n g s w i t h

scenic episodes of the narrative action and t w o entrcfenetres. T h e cartoons w o u l d later b e c o m e one of the greatest glories of the Princely Collections of Liechtenstein.

8 8

O n e m i g h t ask w h e t h e r it is so unlikely an assumption that Sweerts could have sold t h e Acts of the Apostles c a r t o o n s along w i t h sets of Rubens's Decius Mus to his G e n o e s e customers as part of the same deal. If he had d o n e so, it w o u l d have m e a n t that his

Tales from the Tapestry Collection of Elector Palatine Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart 119

statement given to G r u t e r was correct and that he did indeed o w n the originals of the Acts cartoons in 1618. T h i s is an issue n o t of m e r e academic interest b u t of m a j o r signifi ­ cance, especially for its consequences c o n ­ c e r n i n g the o e u v r e of Rubens. J e r e m y W o o d has recently sketched the benefits to o u r u n d e r s t a n d i n g of Rubens's stylistic d e v e l o p m e n t as a d r a f t s m a n if he had had the o p p o r t u n i t y to study Raphael's original cartoons in Brussels before 1600 and before his o w n travels in Italy.

87

W h a t e v e r the eventual results of this u n e x p l o r e d area m i g h t be, in retrospect the fact that neither Raphael's Acts of the Apostles n o r Rubens's Decius Mus tapestries b e c a m e part of the Palatine collection is sadly felt as a great o p p o r t u n i t y lost.

T R O U B L E D F I N A L E

A f t e r the treaties of Miinster and Osnabriick, w h i c h ended the T h i r t y Years' W a r in 1648,

Charles Louis, the eldest s u r v i v i n g son of the W i n t e r K i n g and Q u e e n and heir of the electorate of the R h i n e , finally r e t u r n e d to Heidelberg f r o m T h e H a g u e . H e t o o k w i t h h i m the m a j o r p o r t i o n of w h a t was left of his ancestors' exiled tapestry collection, along w i t h m a n y paintings, t h e library, the r e n o w n e d collection of antique coins and medals, and part of the K u n s t ­ u n d W u n d e r k a m m e r . T h e first s h i p m e n t was sent to F r a n k f u r t in S e p t e m b e r 1649.

ss

A perfectly preserved shipping n o t e reveals the m e t i c u l o u s accuracy w i t h w h i c h the t r a n s ­ p o r t was p l a n n e d (fig. 13). Eleven h u g e chests w e r e packed w i t h textile f u r n i s h i n g s (see appendix): eight w i t h tapestry, t w o w i t h t h r o n e and bed canopies, and o n e w i t h

"tiirckische t a p p i c h " (Turkish tapestries), a t e r m that in the inventories of the Palatine collection refers to t e c h n i q u e rather t h a n to provenance. It was usually applied n o t to O r i e n t a l rugs b u t to all sorts of k n o t t e d

rfc}'

vw

KWS vwj®.

VW vw >•

vv)[ ⁶ vw »•

vw '•

vw >

fy™ -i^rtt ykJkt&U&ja

jgv-

M

fi .TFI

6

M

7. *­'J>'>w

r- W X * *

­Vfc/J&c }u»< fiAxef-f&tof-

SP?

gv -

CXB.^'.CX

_a»3ry

• f j r

^ B ' J ^ . .

m.

JsjLi^ j JjJW* !'

• rmh ^t-vM/t-yh—}>

Fig. 13. Shipping note concerning the first transport of tapestries and other household stuff of the Elector Palatine Charles Louis from The Hague to Frankfurt in September 1649. Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Munich, Abt. Ill, Geheimes Hausarchiv, Schatzakten, S 601, fols.

I 3 5 v ­ I 3 6 r

Tapestry in the Baroque

hangings, carpets, and tablecloths. Yet, as a result of the Palatine W a r of Succession in 1693, most of these pieces w o u l d b e destroyed, pillaged, or simply sold at an improvised auction by the trustees of the French k i n g Louis X I V before the t u r n of the century.

8

'' T h e loss of the collection is almost complete. Today only about t w e n t y pieces exist that can be traced back to t h e once great Palatine collection, that is, less than 4 percent of t h e h a n g i n g s listed in the preserved inventories.

For her part, Elizabeth, even t h o u g h she had to fight hard w i t h her son Charles Louis over this issue, held back m o r e than 140 individual tapestries in the Wassenaer H o f in T h e H a g u e and in R h e n e n Castle to m e e t her representational needs as a queen.'

; 0

In the letters to her son, w h o u r g e d her to send these tapestries to Heidelberg as well, the W i n t e r Q u e e n stated very clearly that she w o u l d not back off.'

;l

W h e n Elizabeth gave a t e n - p i e c e set of the Story of Abraham as a w e d d i n g present to o n e of her y o u n g e r sons, P r i n c e E d w a r d , w h o c o n v e r t e d to Catholicism and m a r r i e d A n n a G o n z a g a , Charles Louis sullenly c o m p l a i n e d about his m o t h e r ' s d e p r i v i n g h i m of his r i g h t f u l h e r i­

tage.

92

I n d e e d , his a n g e r seemed justified by the fact that the Abraham set, a r e w e a v i n g of the f a m o u s series originally designed by Pieter C o e c k e van Aelst and w o v e n in the w o r k s h o p of W i l l e m de K e m p e n e e r on behalf of K i n g H e n r y V I I I , " had been p u r ­ chased shortly after 1556 by Elector O t t o H e n r y to decorate his n e w palace at H e i d e l ­ berg Castle. In his will, O t t o H e n r y speci­

fied explicitly that all tapestries acquired d u r i n g his reign w e r e to be part of the inalienable assets of t h e electorate in p e r p e ­ tuity.'" T h e r e f o r e , Elizabeth had n o right to give away the Abraham set. T h e queen's response was to accuse the n e w elector of stinginess, a r g u i n g that he w o u l d m a k e a fool of himself if a n y b o d y realized h o w poorly h e treated his mother.''' A second a t t e m p t by Charles Louis to recover tapes­

tries was m o r e successful: in 1655 Elizabeth agreed to send five "suits of h a n g i n g s " and

some paintings to Heidelberg.

1

'" In the end, h o w e v e r , the W i n t e r Q u e e n ' s h e a d s t r o n g persistence prevailed. She had " h e r " tapes­

tries sent to L o n d o n to f u r n i s h E x e t e r H o u s e , w h e r e she was to reside after her r e t u r n to E n g l a n d in 1661.

97

A m o n g t h e m w e r e all the sets that she had acquired p e r ­ sonally d u r i n g exile and also the Story of Scipio set, the prestigious w e d d i n g present that she and her husband had received f r o m the States­General in 1613.

98

To her son she explained haughtily, "If I had as m u c h m e a n e s to buy h a n g i n g s as m y Lo[rd]

C r a u e n has, I shoulde n o t haue b e n e so rigorous as to take w h a t is m y right."'"

Obviously, even t o w a r d the end of her life, the ever status­conscious Q u e e n of B o h e m i a was still keen on b u y i n g expensive tapestries of the highest quality, even t h o u g h she could n o longer afford t h e m . W i l l i a m Craven was long a friend of Frederick and Elizabeth, and he r e m a i n e d a staunch s u p ­ p o r t e r of the Palatine cause t h r o u g h o u t his life. W h e n K i n g Charles II failed to p r o v i d e an adequate residence for the queen of B o h e m i a after her arrival in L o n ­ don, Elizabeth lived in Craven's house in D r u r y Lane.

100

T h e f o l l o w i n g year, Elizabeth died in t h e arms of her son P r i n c e R u p e r t the Cavalier, w h o i n h e r i t e d the precious tapestries as part of his m o t h e r ' s b e q u e a t h e d " M e u b l e s . "

, 0

' A f t e r Rupert's death in 1682, they w e r e o w n e d by his mistress M a r g a r e t Hughes,

1 0 2

a r e n o w n e d stage beauty, w h o vies w i t h A n n e Marshall over t h e privilege of b e i n g the first w o m a n to p e r f o r m publicly on stage in the role of D e s d e m o n a in W i l l i a m Shakespeare's play Othello.'

0>

Prince R u p e r t and the actress had an illegitimate d a u g h t e r , R u p e r t a , b o r n in 1671, w h o later m a r r i e d Lieutenant General E m a n u e l Scrope H o w e . In the end, it was f r o m their h o u s e h o l d that w h a t was left of Ruperta's royal g r a n d m o t h e r ' s i n h e r i ­ tance irretrievably vanished.

1 0 4

To date, not a single tapestry of t h e W i n t e r K i n g and Q u e e n ' s collection has surfaced again.

Talcs from the Tapestry Collection of Elector Palatine Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart

M a n y f r i e n d s and c o l l e a g u e s have p r o v i d e d insight a n d t h o u g h t f u l c o m m e n t t h r o u g h o u t t h e genesis of this article. I m u s t b e g i n by t h a n k i n g W o l f g a n g M e t z g e r a n d K a r i n Z i m m e r m a n n ( H e i d e l b e r g ) , w h o a l e r t e d m e to t h e letters of F r a n s S w e e r t s in t h e U n i v e r s i t a t s b i b l i o t h e k H e i d e l b e r g , w h i l e Krista D e J o n g e ( L e u v e n ) , H a r a l d D r o s ( H e i d e l b e r g ) , and D a n i e l

Lievois ( G h e n t ) s h a r e d in t h e d i f f i c u l t y o f t h e i r a c c u­

rate t r a n s c r i p t i o n a n d i n t e r p r e t a t i o n . M a u r e e n M . M e i k l e ( S u n d e r l a n d ) k i n d l y p r o v i d e d t h e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e tapestries f r o m t h e Royal Scottish W a r d r o b e at D u n f e r m l i n e and L i n l i t h g o w . F u r t h e r I a m g r a t e f u l t o G u y D e l m a r c e l a n d K o e n r a a d B r o s e n s (Leuven), T o m C a m p b e l l and E l i z a b e t h C l e l a n d ( N e w York), E b e l t j e H a r t k a m p ­ J o n x i s ( A m s t e r d a m ) , W e n d y H e f f o r d ( L o n d o n ) , J e a n Vittet (Paris), a n d D e a n W a l k e r ( P h i l a d e l p h i a ) for t h e i r g e n e r o s i t y in s h a r i n g t h e i r k n o w l e d g e a n d e x p e r i e n c e in t a p e s t r y research a n d c o n s e r v a t i o n .

1. H a n n s H u b a c h , " T a p i s s e r i e n i m H e i d e l b e r g e r Schloss 1 4 0 0 ­ 1 7 0 0 : G r u n d z i i g e e i n e r G e s c h i c h t e d e r e h e m a l i g e n S a m m l u n g d e r P f a l z e r K u f u r s t e n , "

in Tapisserien: Wandteppiche mis den slaatlichen Schlbsscrn Baien-WUrttembergs, S c h a t z e aus u n s e r e n Schlossern 6, e d . Staatliche Schlosser u n d G a r t e n B a d e n ­ W i i r t t e m b e r g / L a n d e s m e d i e n z e n t r u m B a d e n ­ W i i r t t e m b e r g ( W e i n h e i m , 2002), pp. 9 8 ­ 1 0 3 .

2. Friedrich S c h n e i d e r , " B i l d w i r k e r e i zu H e i d e l b e r g i m 15. J a h r h u n d e r t , " Anzeigcrfiir Kunde der deutschen Vorzeit, n.s. 4 4 (1877), cols. 1 3 ­ 1 4 . ; Karl C h r i s t , " B i l d w i r k e r e i zu H e i d e l b e r g i m 15. J a h r h u n d e r t , " Zeitschriftfiir die Geschichte des Oberrheins 32 (1880), pp. 3 2 5 ­ 3 0 ; C h r i s t i n a C a n t z l e r , Bildteppiche der Spdtgotik am Mittel- rhein 1400-1550 ( T u b i n g e n , 1990), pp. 1 6 2 ­ 8 2 ; H u b a c h , " T a p i s s e r i e n i m H e i d e l b e r g e r Schloss 1 4 0 0 ­ 1 7 0 0 , " p. 98.

3. D e L a l a i n g r e p o r t e d t h a t H e i d e l b e r g Castle h a d

" q u a t t r e c o r p s d e m a i s o n s , o u v r e e s de pierres de taille et c o u v e r t e s d'ardoises. C h a c u n e m a i s o n p o l r o i t l o g e r u n g roy, et est c h a c u n e f u r n i e de b o n n e s tapisseries, de licts d e p a r m e n t , et d e t o u t ce q u i d u i t a servir u n g g r a n d p r i n c e " ; M a x i m i l i a n H u t f s c h m i d , " Z u r G e s c h i c h t e des H e i d e l b e r g e r Schlosses," Neues Archivfiir die Geschichte der Stadt Heidelberg und der rheinischen Pfalz 3 (1898), pp. 8 1 ­ 8 2 ; H u b a c h , " T a p i s s e r i e n i m H e i d e l b e r g e r Schloss 1 4 0 0 ­ 1 7 0 0 , " p. 99.

4. A n n e l i s e S t e m p e r , " D i e W a n d t e p p i c h e , " in G e o r g P o e n s g e n , ed., Ottheinrich: Gedenkschrift zur vierhundertjahrigen Wiederkehr seiner Kurfursten- zeit in der Pfalz 1556-1550 ( H e i d e l b e r g , 1956), pp. 1 4 1 ­ 7 1 ; R o t r a u d B a u e r , " F l a m i s c h e T e p p i c h ­ w e b e r i m d e u t s c h s p r a c h i g e n R a u m , " in G u y D e l m a r c e l , e d . , Flemish Tapestry Weavers Abroad:

Emigration and the Founding of Manufactories in Europe, P r o c e e d i n g s o f t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o n f e r ­

e n c e , M e c h e l e n , O c t o b e r 2 ­ 3 , 2 0 0 0 ( L o u v a i n , 2002), p. 85; H u b a c h , " T a p i s s e r i e n i m H e i d e l ­ b e r g e r Schloss 1 4 0 0 ­ 1 7 0 0 , " pp. 9 9 ­ 1 0 1 ; H a n n s H u b a c h , " '. . . m i t g o l t , s i l b e r u n d seyd k o s t l i c h s t , e r h a b e n , f e y n u n n d l u s t i g g m a c h t ' : P f a l z g r a f O t t h e i n r i c h u n d d i e B i l d t e p p i c h ­ p r o d u k t i o n in N e u b u r g 1 5 3 9 ­ 1 5 4 4 / 4 5 , " in S u z a n n e B a u m l e r , E v a m a r i a B r o c k h o f f , a n d M i c h a e l H e n k e r , eds., Von Kaisers Gnaden: 500 fahre Pfalz-Neuburg, V e r o f f e n t l i c h u n g e n z u r

B a y e r i s c h e n G e s c h i c h t e u n d K u l t u r 5 0 / 2 0 0 5 , e x h . cat., S c h l o s s N e u b u r g ( A u g s b u r g , 2005), p p . 1 7 4 ­ 7 8 .

5. T h e c u l t u r a l d e v e l o p m e n t o f F r a n k e n t h a l as a w h o l e is best a d d r e s s e d in E d g a r J. H i i r k e y , ed., Kunst—Kommerz—Glaubenskampf: Frankenthal urn 1600, e x h . cat., E r k e n b e r t ­ M u s e u m F r a n k e n t h a l ( W o r m s , 1995).

6. J o h a n n K r a u s , " D i e W a n d t e p p i c h ­ F a b r i k a t i o n in F r a n k e n t h a l i m 16. u n d 17. J a h r h u n d e r t , " Monats- schrift des Frankenthaler Altertumsvereins 16 (1908), pt. 4 pp. 1 3 ­ 1 4 , pt. 5 p. 21, pt. 6 p p . 2 5 ­ 2 6 , pt. 8 PP­ 3 3 ­ 3 4 . pt­ 9 ­ 1 0 pp. 3 7 ­ 3 8 . pt. 1 1 ­ 1 2 pp. 4 5 ­ 4 6 ; E r n s t M e r k e l , " M a l e r u n d T e p p i c h ­ m a c h e r i n F r a n k e n t h a l , " Frankenthal einst undjetzt,

•977. PP­ 4 7_5 ° ; E""ik D u v e r g e r , " B i l d w i r k e r e i i n O u d e n a a r d e u n d F r a n k e n t h a l , " in H i i r k e y , ed., Kunst—Kommerz—Glaubenskampf, pp. 8 6 ­ 9 6 . ; B a u e r , " F l a m i s c h e T e p p i c h w e b e r i m d e u t s c h s p r a c h i g e n R a u m , " pp. 8 3 ­ 8 4 . 7. H u b a c h , " T a p i s s e r i e n i m H e i d e l b e r g e r Schloss

1400—1700," p. 101.

8. See H a n s R o t t , " O t t H e i n r i c h u n d die K u n s t , "

Mittheilungen zur Geschichte des Heidelberger Schlosses 5 (1905), pp. 2 0 4 ­ 6 , n o . 9b.

9. F o r b i o g r a p h i e s o f F r e d e r i c k a n d E l i z a b e t h , see, a m o n g o t h e r s , Jessica G o r s t ­ W i l l i a m s , Elizabeth the Winter Queen ( L o n d o n , 1977); J o s e p h i n e Ross, The Winter Queen: The Story of Elizabeth Stuart ( N e w Y o r k , 1979); L i b F e h r l e ­ B u r g e r , Konigliche Frauenschicksale zwischen England und Kurpfalz ( H e i d e l b e r g , 1997); C a r o l a O m a n , The Winter Queen: Elizabeth of Bohemia ( L o n d o n , 1938; rev.

e d . , L o n d o n , 2000); B r e n n a n C . Pursell, The Winter King: Frederick V of the Palatinate and the Coming of the Thirty Years' War ( A l d e r s h o t , B u r ­ l i n g t o n , 2003); P e t e r W o l f et al., eds., Der Win- terkdnig: Friedrich von der Pfalz; Bayern und Europa im Zeitalterdes Dreissigjdhrigcn Krieges, e x h . cat., S t a d t m u s e u m A m b e r g ; H a u s d e r B a y e r i s c h e n G e s c h i c h t e , A u g s b u r g ( S t u t t g a r t , 2003); P e t e r B i l h o f e r , Nicht gegen Ehre und Gewissen: Friedrich

V., Kurfurst von der Pfalz—der Winterkonig von Bohmen ( H e i d e l b e r g , 2004).

10. F o r t h e c u l t u r a l s t a n d a r d s o f t h e E n g l i s h c o u r t , see G r a h a m Parry, The Golden Age Rcstor'd: The Culture of the Stuart Court, 1603-42 ( M a n c h e s t e r , 1981); L i n d a L e v y P e c k , Consuming Splendor:

122 Tapestry in the Baroque