Tapestry: a Fragment of a Tapestry with Male and Female Figures

Two men and two women dressed in sumptuous garments of the time of Margaret of Austria’s rule are depicted against an oak. Judging from the fact that the lower parts of the figures are cut off, with a landscape unfolding above them, this fragment appears to have been cut out of the upper part of the tapestry. The border composed of twigs of wild roses with inflorescences, stems of pea pods and pomegranates is sewn to the lower section of the tapestry. The treatment of figures, types of faces and the arrangement of folds of clothing are the distinctive features of the Brussels tapestries of the second decade of the 16th century. A small fragment does not allow us to identify the subject, but the faces suggesting strong personality lead us to assume that some specific characters are portrayed here. For example, a bearded man with his head turned towards the viewer has a profile characteristic of the House of Habsburg’s members.