Flemish tapestry, ca. 1620-30.

Flemish tapestry, ca. 1620-30.
"Hunting party".
Wool. Hand knotted.
Presents some restorations.
Measurements: 253 x 298 cm.

In this important Flemish tapestry of Baroque period a lively scene is developed, in which it seems to us to observe a hunting party. Although at first, the agitation of the rearing horses and the proliferation of weapons makes us think of a battle, we soon realize that all the knights belong to the same side. They ride among their hunting dogs, which trot between equine legs and chase ostriches. These large, long-necked birds further enrich the scene, giving it an almost magical quality. The natural environment in which the characters are set is lush, with its palm trees, ponds and leafy shoots. Some houses can be seen in the distance. The narrative and chromatic richness achieved with an intricate pattern, characteristic of Flemish workshops, stands out.

From the late Middle Ages until the 18th century, Flemish tapestries, as well as the pictorial production of the Flemish masters of painting, became a luxury commodity exported throughout Europe. The special relationship that was established between the region known as Flanders (an imprecise way of referring to the northern area of the Burgundian State) and the medieval Christian peninsular kingdoms (especially the Crown of Castile, and later the Hispanic Monarchy -which incorporated the Habsburg Netherlands-), from where much of the wool that reached the textile workshops of Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels, Mechelen, Arras or Tou.