Pair of Flemish Grotesque Tapestry Panels

Each panel woven with a fantastical grotesque composition centred by a sculptural fountain bearing a small nude figure, flanked by parrots perched upon balustrades. Above, wingless putti support festoons of fruit and vessels, emblematic of abundance. The lower register is ornamented with hybrid caryatid figures—part human, part beast—supporting the architectural framework. The surrounding scrolling floral border with stylised foliage, fruit and masks is typical of the Netherlandish grotesque idiom of the early seventeenth century.
These narrow vertical panels (portières) were designed for architectural settings, hung as door coverings or to flank larger tapestry hangings. Their fanciful vocabulary derives from the Roman grottesche decoration rediscovered in the late fifteenth century and was widely disseminated through prints by artists such as Jean Lemaire, Cornelis Floris and Cornelis Bos. Flemish centres including Oudenaarde and Enghien specialised in furnishing sets of this type, often exported across Europe.