Lot 71: Antoine Caron (1520-1599)

The young King learning the Arts black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash 53/4 x 41/2 in. (146 x 108 mm.) NOTES A study for the left section of the tapestry of the same subject known through a drawing by Caron, now in the Louvre (M. Fenaille, Etat g‚n‚ral des tapisseries de la manufacture des Gobelins depuis les origines jusqu'… nos jours, Paris, 1923, p. 173, pl. XLVIII). The tapestry was still inventoried by the Gobelins in 1792, but probably burned in 1797. The subject comes 48th in the series on the Story of Artemisia. The set originally consisted of 74 tapestries, 59 of which are still extant. The series, commissioned by Catherine de'Medicis, widow of King Henry II, was based on the novel of the apothecary Nicolas Houel. In the story Catherine was compared to Artemisia, Queen of Caria, who lived around 355 B.C, her husband to the dead husband of Artemisia, Mausoleus, and Catherine's son, King Charles IX, to Lygdamis, the young King here depicted. Caron designed 44 compositions while most of the others were designed by Henri Lerambert (compare a drawing by him sold in these Rooms, 30 January 1997, lot 108). The drawing illustrates the following verses by Houel: 'On l'instruisit aussi en suivant sa nature Qui aymoit dessus tout les riches bastimentz, A congnoistre et s‡avoir les divers Instrumentz, Le proeceptes escriptz, et l'art d'Architecture. Aussi luy aprit on tous les traicts de peincture... Cela luy enseignoit ses ouvrages plus beaux Dont il devoit peupler ses maisons et chasteaux...'.