wool and silk, 1761, French; The Story of Jason, Jason weds Creusa/Jason and Medea in the temple of Jupiter, Gobelins; Cozette, De Troy, 1745.

De Troy wanted to show a crowded scene of celebration, with all of Jason's countrymen attending the ceremony in the temple and rejoicing in their hero's return. The resulting scene is somewhat chaotic and the mood, ambiguous.

Jason and Medea ascend the steps of the temple of Jupiter, Jason leaning towards the High Priest. Medea's attendant kneels at the princess's feet, gathering up her train. Positioned behind them are the Argonauts, with their spears and banners, and further behind them are the throngs of spectators: the cacophony is almost audible. The statue of Jupiter, shrouded in darkness, presides over the scene. At the statue's base, a little boy plays with a caged bird, a veiled reference to the imprisonment of the soul, and perhaps to the 'taming' of Medea.

Purchased with Art Fund support and the assistance of the Murray Bequest and the Vallentin Bequest

Purchased as a complete cycle of seven tapestries (T.2 to T.8-1951) from the Wednesday 2 December 1950 sale at Christie's, London. Forming lot 322, the tapestries were consigned by the 2nd Baroness Burton, Nellie Lisa Melles. Their remarkable provenance was related in the sale catalogue as follows:

'In 1787 these seven tapestries were given by the State to the Comte de Vergennes, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1774, on the occasion of the successful completion of a commercial treaty with England. The set was, between the years 1800 and 1820, purchased by William Murray who succeeded in 1796 as 3rd Earl of Mansfield of Caen Wood, Co. Middx. The set probably hung at his house of Caen Wood, now know as Kenwood, until its sale about 1870 by William David Murray, 4th Earl in 1840, to Mr. Michael Thomas Bass, father of the 1st Lord Burton.'

Once purchased, it was Sir Leigh Ashton's intention that the tapestries "would be utilised to form a background to the Jones collection which has hitherto had to exist in the rather chaste splendour of a bare gallery; but, equally, if the Fund are prepared to contribute and wished, for instance, to present part of the set to Ken Wood (sic), where they were originally hung, this would, I think, be worth considering.". It was Lady Burton's wish that the tapestries should at some point be shown at Kenwood, but Ashton felt the museum should have 'one great complete set of Gobelins'. (MA/1/C1401/7)

According to Fenaille, eleven cycles of de Troy's Story of Jason and several individual scenes (79 tapestries in total) were woven at the Gobelins. This does not include the cycles that constituted private commissions for the royal palaces and diplomatic gifts for foreign dignitaries. Though it was expected that tapestry cycles would be re-woven, as and when required, the popularity of de Troy's cycle was clearly such that it led Jean-Baptiste-Marie Pierre, director of the Gobelins in 1783, to remark that the subject had been 'done to death' (letter dated 11 February 1783, cited in Leribault, 2002, p.104).

The subject of this tapestry has always been thought to be that of Jason and Creusa's marriage. Recently, the scholar Christophe Leribault, identified that an error had been made with the titles of the corresponding cartoon and sketch, and as a result we must now see the subject of this tapestry as Jason and Medea in the temple of Jupiter.

The tapestry precedes the climactic final two works depicting Creusa's poisoning and Medea's flight with the bodies of her murdered sons. De Troy had agonised over the subject of the fifth tapestry; his first choice, the rejuvenation of Aeson, was dismissed as being too gruesome. The artist finally decided that the subject would be Jason and Medea in the temple of Jupiter. The crowded scene was devised to show the joy with which Jason's people greeted the returning hero and his wife. The cartoon clearly shows the figure of Medea ascending the steps; her long dark hair, distinctive headdress and regal gait are instantly recognisable. And yet, the cartoon was exhibited in the salon of 1748, as: Jason infidèle à Médée, épouse Creuse, fille de Créon, Roy de Corinthe.

Similarly, all the Gobelins tapestries depicting this scene, bear the title given in the salon pamphlet. Leribault has pointed out that although the incorrect appellation appeared to go unnoticed, contemporary visitors and critics commented on the ambiguity of the female figure's identity, with many convinced that the figure depicted was, in fact, Medea. Unfortunately, there is no record of a response from de Troy and Leribault believes that it was the artist's distance from the events taking place (de Troy had been posted to Rome) that rendered him first oblivious to the case of mistaken identity, and then incapable of rectifying it. Certainly, the artist's own view of the subject of this cartoon, delineated in his final correspondence on the matter, would appear to be decisive: "Le 5e Tableau de l'histoire de Jason est fini; il représente l'arrivée de Medée et de Jason dans sa patrie; ils vont au Temple de Jupiter".

There is a study by De Troy for the figure of Medea in the cartoon for this tapestry, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

The painted sketch for the cartoon for Jason and Medea at the Temple of Jupiter is in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid.

The cartoon itself is in the Musée d'art Roger-Quillot, Clermont-Ferrand.

See T.2-1951.

The mythological story of Jason is synonymous with adventure and great feats of heroism. This tapestry belongs to a cycle of seven works relating the story of Jason's voyage with the Argonauts; their quest to capture the golden fleece, and their subsequent return to Greece. Particular emphasis is placed on one aspect of the story that is seldom explored: Jason and Medea.

Until very recently, it was thought that the stage of the story depicted here, was that of the marriage ceremony of Jason and Creusa, daughter of the King of Corinth. However, recent scholarship by Christophe Leribault has identified that an error was made with the title of the cartoon, when it was first exhibited in the salon of 1748; as a result the corresponding tapestry must now be seen to depict Jason and Medea in the temple of Jupiter, paying homage to the ruler of the Gods.

Jason did later marry Creusa, and in so doing, forsook his wife Medea. Medea had used her powers of sorcery to oppose her father Aeëtes, King of Colchis and help her lover win the fleece. Jason's infidelity would incite her jealous rage, leading her to murder her rival Creusa; the King of Corinth; her own sons, and finally to set fire to Corinth. Jason's betrayal and its tragic repercussions are foreshadowed here in the tapestry by the group of restless Argonauts in the background, their backs turned, even as the ceremony takes place.

T.6-1951