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After Raphael (1483-1520)

The Acts of the Apostles 17th century

Woven wool tapestry | 475.0 x 544.0 cm (whole object) | RCIN 1223

King's Eating Room, Hampton Court Palace

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  • Nine panels of Brussels tapestries depicting scenes from the Acts of the Apostles, woven in the workshop of Jan Raes and Jacob Geubels after cartoons by Raphael (1483-1520), depicting: the Miraculous Draught of Fishes, Christ's charge to St. Peter, Peter and John at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple (healing the paralytic), the Death of Ananias, Elymas the Sorcerer struck blind before Sergius Paulus, the Sacrifice at Lystra, St Paul preaching at Athens, the Martyrdom of St Stephen and the Conversion of St Paul.

    The working cartoons for this weaving would have been copied from the originals, or from copies of the originals, with several changes visible. The foliage and landscapes, for example, have been redrawn. Unusually, several of the scenes were woven in two parts, now joined. A second set by the same workshop is in the Spanish royal collection, in which some of the panels have been produced in the same way. The tapestries were repaired sometime between 1877 and 1905, when, presumably, the sections were joined. (Thomas P. Campbell, 2002.)

    The original Raphael cartoons for the tapestries, acquired by Charles I in 1623, have been on loan to the Victoria & Albert Museum since 1865.
    Provenance

    Originally in the collection of the Duke of Berwick & Alba. Sold in 1877. Acquired by Baron d'Erlanger who presented them to King Edward VII in 1905. From this time until 1986, seven pieces were hung in the Cartoon Gallery at Hampton Court Palace, with two in the Queen's Public Dining Room.

  • Medium and techniques

    Woven wool tapestry

    Measurements

    475.0 x 544.0 cm (whole object)

    475.0 x 605.0 cm (whole object)

    475.0 x 275.0 cm (whole object)

    475.0 x 490.0 cm (whole object)

    475.0 x 602.0 cm (whole object)

    475.0 x 549.0 cm (whole object)

    475.0 x 500.0 cm (whole object)

    541.0 x 610.0 cm (whole object)

    523.0 x 584.0 cm (whole object)

  • Alternative title(s)

    The Miraculous Draught of Fishes

    Christ's charge to St Peter

    Peter and John at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple (healing the paralytic)

    The death of Ananias

    Elymas the Sorcerer struck blind before Sergius Paulus

    The sacrifice at Lystra

    St Paul preaching at Athens

    The martyrdom of St Stephen

    The conversion of St Paul