Phaethon Appears Before Helios

Series TitleStory of Phaethon

Former TitlePhaethon Appears Before the Throne of Phoebus Apollo

Artist Workshop of Jan Leyniers (Flemish, 1630 - 1686)

Date1665-1685

MediumTapestry with wool and silk

DimensionsOverall: 161 × 216 inches (408.94 × 548.64 cm)

Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust

Object number33-17/1

On View

On view

Gallery Location

Kirkwood Hall

Collections

Architecture, Design and Decorative Arts

Terms

Gallery Label

This is the first in a series of eight tapestries depicting scenes from the life of Phaeton, from Greek mythology. The son of Clymene, a heroine, and Helios, the god of the sun, Phaeton journeyed to his father's palace to request a favor. Here, Phaeton appears before Helios, who is surrounded by the Four Seasons: Ceres (summer), Bacchus (autumn), Vulcan (winter) and seated in front, Flora (spring). Phaeton pleads with his father to allow him to drive the chariot of the sun across the sky for a day, and Helios reluctantly grants his son's wish. The female figure to the right holds a clock symbolizing the passage of time, and constellations of the zodiac are depicted in the sky.

Provenance

J. P. Morgan, Sr. (1837-1913), New York, by December 1909-1913 [1];

By descent to his son, J. P. Morgan, Jr. (1867-1943), New York, 1913-November 25, 1932 [1];

Purchased from Morgan by French & Co., New York, stock no. 17698A-H, November 25, 1932-January 30, 1933 [2];

Purchased from French & Co., by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1933.

NOTES:

[1] J. P. Morgan, Sr. lent three of the eight tapestries in this series to the Wadsworth Atheneum in December 1909 and they remained there until May 1932. J. P. Morgan, Jr. lent the remaining five tapestries in the series to the Wadsworth Atheneum from March 1928 to August 1932.

[2] Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, French & Co. Stock Sheets, box 17, folder 4 and Getty Photo Archive, 76.P.43, Textiles box 9. Morgan consigned five of the eight tapestries to French & Co. from 1925 to 1928, but they failed to sell. They were returned to Morgan, who then lent them to the Wadsworth Atheneum (see note 1).

Published References

“Handle with Care,” The Kansas City Star Thursday March 9, 2006, (repro.), clipping NAMA Files.

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