Tapestry 'The Camp' woven in silk and wool, from the 'The Art of War' series, designed by Philipp De Hondt, woven by Judocus de Vos, Brussels, 1718-1719

Tapestry woven in silk and wool. Framed in borders of military trophies with at centre top a larger trophy of flags and lances surmounted by trumpets crossed through a laurel wreath. The lower border trophy has flagons, platters, barrels, sugar sifters and cooking pots.

In the centre a mounted trumpeter sounds a call as an officer takes a glass of wine proffered by a woman. On the left a soldier broaches a barrel for a drink in front of a tent of soldiers drinking and a woman smoking a pipe. Women camp followers and children are part of the peaceful scene. On the right in the distance soldiers and women are dancing to the music of a fiddle and a hurdy gurdy in front of a large tent. Tents and tethered horses fill the background. Woven with 20 warp threads to the inch.

Given by Mrs Josa Finney, in memory of her late husband, Oswald James Finney

The first 'Art of War' series was designed by Lambert de Hondt and woven by Jerome Le Clerc and Gaspar van der Borght. This tapestry is from the second series woven by de Vos and designed by Phillipe de Hondt. Some sets of the second series include scenes and figures borrowed from the cartoons of the 'Battles of the Duke of Marlborough'. The lower border trophy is the same as that in 'The Camp' from the first 'Art of War' series made for Lo red Orkney.

The 'Art of War' tapestries belonging to Mr Finney were reputed to be the set which was made for Augustus the Strong of Saxony in 1708. This date, given by Schmitz in Bildteppiche (3rd ed., p.256) is probably a mistake for 1718 as a scene taken from the 'Battle of Blenheim' in the Dresden set could not have been used until after 1717. 'The March', 'The Camp' and 'Cutting Fascines' are illustrated in Ackerman. 'The Siege' and 'The Ambush', not known to Ackerman, appear to be part of the same set, which Bernheimer stated was of eight pieces. Of the two further pieces illustrated by Ackerman, 'The Halt' is now in the National Museum, Warsaw, and the tapestry after 'Blenheim' was on the art market in 1964. The eighth, missing piece may have been similar to Marlborough's tapestry of 'Malplaquet' for the Dresden set was known as 'Die Schlachten bei Höchstädt und Malplaquet'

T.284-1972