Story of Caesar and Cleopatra
by PEEMANS, Gerard, Tapestry, wool and silk, 382 x 366 cm
The tapestry series Story of Caesar and Cleopatra were woven at the workshops of Gerard Peemans and Willem van Leefdael in Brussels. The present tapestry from the series depicts Caesar Embarks by Boat to Join His Army. It shows a moment during the Egyptian Civil war. Following a failed attempt upon their lives, Caesar and Cleopatra find themselves besieged by opposing Egyptian armies. Here boatman strain to convey a laurel-crowned Caesar to join his army. The water birds in the sky and the reeds at right convey the setting of the Nile.
The tapestry, made after a design by Justus van Egmont, displays all the characteristics of the Flemish High Baroque: monumental figures, dramatic gestures, expressive faces, and minimal backgrounds. The story of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar was a popular subject for tapestry by the time these works were woven in the 17th century.