A BRUSSELS SILK AND METAL-THREAD ARMORIAL TAPESTRY BY JAN VAN...

Centering the coat-of-arms of a Grand Admiral of Spain, suspended by winged putti and above a naval battle and martial and navigational attributes, the border with ribbon-tied oak branches and punctuated by armorials derived from the central arms, including the Order of the Golden Fleece, the Knights of Malta and the Knights of Calatrava, signed 'L VAN SCHOOR PINXIT' at the shield to the lower left, and with the town mark of Brussels and 'I.V. BORCHT A.CASTRO' below the guard-border at the lower right
Approximately 13 ft. 3 in. long, 11 ft. 10 in. wide

Provenance
Probably Don Zenón de Somodevilla y Bengoechea, 1st Marquis de la Ensenada.
Sold from the Collection of Prince Paul Galitzin, Paris, 1875 (3,705 Francs).
An Ecclesiastical Collection, Pennsylvania.

Literature
A. Wauters, Les tapisseries Bruxelloises, Brussels, 1878, p. 345
J. Guiffrey, Histoire de la tapisserie, Tours, 1886, p. 491
H. Göbel, Wandteppiche die Niederlande, Leipzig, 1923, I, pp. 397-398

Lot Essay
The arms depicted on this tapestry are those of Don Zenón de Somodevilla y Bengoechea (1702–1781), first marqués de la Ensenada, the son of Don Francisco de Somodevilla y Villaverde and Doña Francisca de Bengoechea. A prominent figure of the Spanish Enlightenment, Somodevilla pursued a distinguished career in the Spanish Navy before attaining high political office. He subsequently served in several major ministerial capacities, including Minister of War, Finance, the Navy, and the Indies, and ultimately rose to the position of Prime Minister.

Since its manufacture, this tapestry went through some curious modifications as a number of the woven heraldic devices have been replaced, suggesting that the piece was not originally commissioned by Somodevilla. This theory is even more probably when considering that the tapestry itself exhibits many stylistic traits and devices of the Baroque: a period that predates Somodevilla's rise to prominence by several decades. It is therefore plausible that the tapestry was subsequently adapted, with its heraldic elements altered to reflect Somodevilla's titles, offices, affiliations, and social status. The heraldic devices incorporated into the border, proceeding clockwise from the upper left, represent the following: the arms of Somodevilla; the keys associated with the office of Lord-in-Waiting to the King; the arms of Bengoechea; the collar of the Order of Saint Januarius of Naples; the insignia of the Order of Saint John of Malta; the arms of Martínez; the Spanish Armada; the arms of Villaverde; the Order of Calatrava; and the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Collectively, these devices constitute a visual record of Somodevilla's lineage, offices, military associations, and membership in prestigious chivalric orders.

The architectural elements represented in the lateral borders are the two promontories flanking the Strait of Gibraltar, traditionally identified in classical antiquity as the Pillars of Hercules. According to ancient tradition, the pillars bore the inscription NEC PLUS ULTRA (“nothing further beyond”), which functioned as a warning to sailors not to venture beyond the known limits of the Mediterranean world. The later adoption of PLUS ULTRA (“further beyond”), associated particularly with Charles V, transformed and effectively contradicted this classical admonition. As the motto of Spain, PLUS ULTRA instead expressed an ideology of expansion, exploration, and imperial ambition, encouraging the pursuit of territories and knowledge beyond the limits of the ancient world.

The overall design of the tapestry is closely related to the oeuvre of the Flemish painter and draughtsman Lodewijk van Schoor (c. 1645-1702) and is typical of the output of Brussels tapestry workshops of the second half of the seventeenth century. These designs were as versatile as they were grand, as well as adaptable to accommodate the iconographic requirements of individual commissions. In the present tapestry, the allegorical program is explicitly naval in character. Armor, artillery, and navigational instruments—including a globe on which Spain is prominently emphasized—underscore the themes of military power, maritime technology, and geographical knowledge. The harbor depicted in the background, populated by ships and dominated by a fortified structure, further reinforces the maritime character of the composition. At the same time, the imagery may allude to Spain's transatlantic territories and the New World, situating the tapestry within the broader political and imperial context of the Spanish monarchy.

The master weaver responsible for this tapestry is Jasper van der Borght (d. 1742), who belonged to one of the most significant tapestry weaver dynasties in Brussels and is recorded as having obtained his privileges in 1684. A pair of allegorical tapestries woven with similar figures after a design by van Schoor was sold Christie’s, New York, 18 May 2005, lot 374.