Tapestry showing Cyrus with Gobrias’ Daughter
1771–75
Changing taste in interiors reduced the market for large wall hangings. Brussels tapestry workshops went into decline. By the 1760s, the van der Borcht family were one of only two manufacturers of high-quality tapestry that remained in the city. The Austrian court provided crucial patronage. This tapestry is from a set made for Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. It tells the story of the Persian King Cyrus, representing the idea of virtue in leadership.
Southern Netherlands, now Belgium (Brussels)
Made at the workshop of the van der Borcht family after a design by Maximiliaan de Hase
Wool and silk, tapestry woven
[09/12/2015]