Village Fete (Saint George's Fair) from a Teniers series
Medium
Wool and silk, slit and double interlocking tapestry weave Warp: Count: 8 warps per cm; wool: S-ply of three Z-spun elements; diameters: 0.7–1.0 mm Weft: Count: varies from 24 to 40 wefts per cm; wool: S-ply of two Z-spun elements; three yarns of S-ply of two Z-spun elements; diameters: 0.5–1.0 mm; silk: Z-ply of two yarns of S-ply of two Z-twisted elements; three yarns of S-ply of two Z-twisted elements; diameters: 0.6–0.9 mm; wool and silk: paired yarns of S-ply of two Z-spun wool elements and S-ply of two Z-twisted silk elements; diameters: 0.5–0.7 mm
Dimensions
449.6 × 320.7 cm (177 × 126 1/4 in.)
Classification
weaving - tapestry
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
78972
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This tapestry shows a group of peasants and townspeople dancing and partaking in a feast in front of houses and other buildings. A flag fluttering from the attic window of a tavern depicts Saint George, the patron saint of agricultural workers, an indication that the festivities are taking place on his saint’s day, April 23. Such portrayals of country life were extremely popular in 18th-century Europe. They are called Teniers, after the 17th-century Flemish artist David II Teniers, who was known...