EMPEROR MAXIMILIAN OF AUSTRIA
The top center of the tapestry border
is a medallion of Aries, signifying the month of March. This is
the first of twelve tapestries designed by Bernard Van Orly (1492
- 1542) and devoted to the chase. March is significant in that
the beginning of the series lies in the "church-governed
calendar of the time", whereby the Feast of Easter was accepted
as the first day of the calendar year, until 1575.
The foreground shows what are thought to be the hunting parties
of Emperor Maximilian of Austria, his brother Ferdinand (back
view), and Emperor Charles V (facing right). Depth is achieved
through careful placement of the figures in the foreground by
the birch tree, then showing the lone rider in the center. Medieval
Brussels is depicted in the background. On a hill, to the left
side is the former Ducal Palace, with the towers of Sint-Jacob-op-de-Coudenburg
and the Nassau Palace shown nearby. Visible in the center of the
tapestry are the steeple of St. Nicholas Church and the spire
of the town hall, with Saint Gudule's Church at the far right.
The series consists of twelve scenes connected with hunting, each
with a sign of the zodiac indicating a particular month of the
year. Views of Brussels and nearby forests of Soignes are seen
in many of the backgrounds, and the actual date of the original
series was established by the identification of the construction
status of identifiable buildings known to have been built and
existing in Medieval Brussels.
Each tapestry has side and top borders of plants, birds, and animals
in natural colors. Each upper border has an oval medallion containing
a sign of the zodiac in a grisaille rendering (often not centered,
however) . The lower border shows mermen and mermaids blowing
horns, carrying vessels, playing with dolphins, and riding sea
horses.
The original of this tapestry (March) and August are owned by
the Moblier National Museum in Paris; July is in the Beaverbrook
Art Gallery, New Brunswick; November is in the Philadelphia Museum
of Art; and, February is at Fontainebleau, France.
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