91. 91W Importante tapisserie de Bruxelles figurant 'Le Colosse de Rhodes', fin XVIe siècle An important Brussels tapestry depicting 'The Colossus of Rhodos', late 16th century Woven in wools and silk, after designs by Maarten van Heemskerk Depicting the Colossus of Rhodes -the monumental semi-clad statue of the sun god Helios -one of the wonders of the ancient world, with his quiver of arrows on his left shoulder and his bow grasped in his left hand, set against an extensive and bustling landscape with numerous boats, the central field flanked by large scale figures admiring the Colossus dressed in elaborate costume and gesturing to the ancient monument, to the right of the large female figures on the left is the seated sculptor (Chares of Lyndus?) dressed in a red tunic, designing a sculpture on paper while his assistants polish pieces of sculpture including a large head to the centre of the main field, the rich border with standing draped figures, flowering vases and vignettes with scenes featuring couples on boats, pastoral scenes and extensive foliate and floral surround with birds and fruited elements, with blue outer slip, 391cm wide350 cm high, (153 1/2in wide x NaNin deep x 137 1/2in high) Provenance: By repute, Contini Bonacossi Collection, Florence; Private Collection, Athens The present lot forms part of a series called 'The Wonders of the World.' For a similar examples see the 'Colosseum' tapestry at the Metropolitan Museum of Art -although this has an 'Elements' border (specifically designed by Philip II) which differs from the figurative border in the present lot. The designer for the Wonders of the World series was Maarten van Heemskerck (Netherlandish, Heemskerck 1498-1574 Haarlem). These designs are thought to have been based on Pedro Mexia of Seville's Silva de varia Leccion, published in 1540. When it comes to attribution of a weaver for the series, Standen suggests that the following could be possible candidates: Willem Segers, Francis Sweerts, Niclaes de Canter, Isaac van Asperen or Nikolaus Le Coustre. The set was made up of eight panels although the Colosseum usually does not form part of the seven wonders. Standen argues that the Colosseum attained the status of one of the Ancient Wonders of the World partly because the colossal statue of Nero that once stood within the building was confused with the Colossus of Rhodes. The ancient monument was built, circa 280 BC, to commemorate the triumphant defence of Rhodes against an attack by Demetrius I of Macedon. It was believed to stand at 33m (108ft) high and collapsed in the earthquake of 226BC. What is considered to be the original dedication for the Colossus reads as follows: Αὐτῷ σοὶ πρὸς Ὄλυμπον ἐμακύναντο κολοσσὸν τόνδε Ῥόδου ναέται Δωρίδος, Ἀέλιε, χάλκεον ἁνίκα κῦμα κατευνάσαντες Ἐνυοῦς ἔστεψαν πάτραν δυσμενέων ἐνάροις. οὐ γὰρ ὑπὲρ πελάγους μόνον κάτθεσαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν γᾷ, ἁβρὸν ἀδουλώτου φέγγος ἐλευθερίας· τοῖς γὰρ ἀφ' Ἡρακλῆος ἀεξηθεῖσι γενέθλας πάτριος ἐν πόντῳ κἠν χθονὶ κοιρανία To you, O Sun, the people of Dorian Rhodes set up tis bronze statue reaching upto Olympus, when they had made peace with the waves of war and crowned their city with the spoils taken from their enemy. Not only over the seas but equally on land did they kindly the lovely torch of freedom. For the descendants of Herakles, theirs in dominion over land and sea. Two panels which are not thought to have survived from the series are Pharos of Alexandria and the Walls of Babylon. The known survivals from the series include Zeus at Olympia, The temple of Diana at Ephesus, The Colossus of Rhodes, The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and the Pyramids of Egypt. A set of six pieces were sold by Francis Swerts, the Antwerp weaver and dealer to the archduke Ernst in 1594/95 and in inventory of the Hotel de Conde, Paris, made in 1719 includes 'Huit pieces de tapisserie representant les Sept Marveilles.' A set of four were sold in 1920 at Georges Petit in Paris on June 18, lots 55-58. Other sets are known to form the collections of Palazzo Venezia, Rome and the William Rockhill Nelson Gallery, Kansas City. See the following for further reading: E. Cleland, Grand Design Pieter Coeke van Aelst and Renaissance Tapestry, Yale University Press, 2015; E.A Standen, Romans and Sabines: A Sixteenth Century set of Flemish Tapestries; E.A. Standen, European Post-Medieval Tapestries and Related Hangings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1985, cat, 19, vol. I, pp. 154 - 161; M.F Viale, Tapisseries Flamande inédites en Italie, illustrated fig 4