The Naked Boys

Click for image

Tapestry, English, Mortlake (marks), c. 1670-80

wool and silk

image 1 (detail), 3 x 2.41m (whole)

image 2 (detail), 2.77 x 2.38 (whole)

Five tapestries from this series at Boughton were once four. The divided tapestry leaves two lopsided scenes and boys separated from portions of their anatomy among the tree-tops. Relatively blank areas at the sides indicate the original cartoon was enlarged to special order for a specific room. The goat (image 1) copied directly from a Brussels sixteenth-century tapestry. Two of the pieces at Boughton include figures corresponding to some in Giulio Romano's drawings (Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth): the boy blowing bubbles (image 2) - graceful figures probably redrawn by Francis Cleyn, Mortlake's designer.

BORDER : three sides only, volutes and ribbon bows with swags of flowers hanging from above and 'growing' from spreading roots at the lower sides.

PROVENANCE possibly the '4ps of hangen from Mr. Harvy' in the Earl's inventory at Montagu House (MH1). Vanderbank mended 'great holes' in two pieces of 'Boys of Morclok' in 1701 and cleaned the set (number unspecified) 1701-2. Five pieces were noted at Boughton between 1705 and 1709 (BH4), used in Ralph Montagu's private apartments.