A FLEMISH ARMORIAL TAPESTRY
Lot 233 VARIOUS PROPERTIES

A FLEMISH ARMORIAL TAPESTRY

AFTER DAVID TENIERS THE YOUNGER, PROBABLY BY JACQUES (OR JACOB I) VAN DER BORCHT, BRUSSELS, LATE 17TH CENTURY

Closed30 September 2014

Price Realised

GBP 27,500

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A FLEMISH ARMORIAL TAPESTRY
AFTER DAVID TENIERS THE YOUNGER, PROBABLY BY JACQUES (OR JACOB I) VAN DER BORCHT, BRUSSELS, LATE 17TH CENTURY
Woven in wools and silks, depicting the crowned coat-of-arms of Juan Francisco de la Cerda Enríquez de Ribera, Marqués de Cogolludo, VIII Duque de Medinaceli, flanked by lions and putti within a foliate scrolling background, in simulated picture frame border, signed DAVID TENIERS.IVNIOR.PINXIT.1680. and with maker's mark IVB and town mark for Brussels, losses to the silks
10 ft. 1 by 9 ft. 7 in. (308 by 292 cm.)

Specialist note

Don Juan Francisco was the son of Antonio de la Cerda, 7th Duke of Medinaceli and Ana María Luisa Enríquez de Ribera Portocarrero y Cárdenas, 5th Duchess of Alcalá de los Gazules. By his marriage to Catalina de Aragón, Don Juan Francisco added the titles of Duke of Segorbe, Cardona and Lerma to the House of Medinaceli.

King Charles II of Spain was mentally not capable of ruling the country. In 1677, his illegitimate half-brother, John of Austria the Younger, had removed the Queen Mother Mariana from court, and established himself as prime minister. Great hopes were entertained for his administration, but it proved disappointing and short: Don John died on 17 September 1679.

As his predecessors, Don Juan Francisco was a loyal servant of the Spanish Crown, and after the death of John of Austria, he became the Valido of King Charles II. Also Sumiller de Corps and Caballerizo mayor to the King, he drastically reformed the economy through the Junta de Comercio y Moneda, but his monetary devaluation led to collapse of the prices and speculation on grain, which led to several bankruptcies. In several regions of Spain, food riots broke out, which led together with the humiliating Truce of Ratisbon with France, to the resignation of Don Juan Francisco. He retired from politics and died in 1691.

An identical tapestry can be found in the collection of The Ducal House of Medinaceli Foundation.