A LILLE TENIERS TAPESTRY

Guillaume Werniers (d. 1738), originally from Brussels, is recorded in Lille from 1700 when he married the daughter of Jan de Melter. His atelier enjoyed considerable success and counted over 21 looms in the 1730s. His tapestries rival in quality those of Brussels and the majority of his work was supplied to la première noblesse de France. After his death his wife carried on the workshop until her death in 1778, continuing often with the same designs. The workshop was specialized in Teniers scenes.
The same border as the present tapestry surrounds a Mythological tapestry attributed to Werniers, and sold at Christie's New York 24 May 2001, lot 221, as well as a tapestry depicting Christ overturning the Tables of the Moneylenders that has nearly identical borders and that bears the signature 'G. WERNIERS.LILLE' followed by 'EN FLANDRE 1737' (sold, Sotheby's New York, 9 January 1990, lot 344.)