Antique Petit Point Tapestry – Hunting Scene, 19th Century

Antique Petit Point Tapestry – 19th Century
Large and elegant antique petit point tapestry, dating from the 19th century, depicting a figurative hunting scene with Orientalist inspiration, in a rare decorative vertical format.

This textile work, executed in polychrome wool on canvas, is distinguished by the finesse of its execution, the richness of its palette, and the quality of its narrative composition, characteristics of high-level European productions intended for interior decoration.

Description and Iconography
The tapestry depicts an aristocratic hunting scene, organized in two superimposed registers:

In the upper section, two richly dressed horsemen, wearing turbans and mounted on caparisoned horses, evoke a princely hunt within an Orientalist fantasy, very popular in the 19th century.

In the lower section, several young figures accompany a captured stag, a symbolic scene representing the culmination of the hunt, treated with gentleness and elegance.

The piece belongs to the decorative Orientalist style, widely prevalent in 19th-century European textile arts.

Technique and Quality of Execution
Technique: very fine and regular petit point

Material: polychrome wool

Support: linen canvas

Careful workmanship, tight and even stitches

Very good overall condition

Fresh and well-contrasted colors

The petit point technique allows for a detailed, painterly rendering, particularly in the faces, costumes, horses, and plant elements.

Color Palette
A rich and decorative palette dominated by:

deep reds and warm ochres,

blues, greens, and turquoises,

beiges and ivory tones for the horses,

yellow and brown highlights.

The colors retain excellent legibility, attesting to the quality of the dyes.

Artistic Context
In the 19th century, the taste for Orientalism strongly influenced European decorative arts: tapestries, wall hangings, embroideries, and decorative objects. Figurative petit point tapestries were particularly prized for decorating drawing rooms, hallways, and bourgeois homes.

School and Attribution
European work from the 19th century, probably French or Belgian, in the tradition of workshops specializing in decorative petit point tapestry, influenced by Flemish and Orientalist designs.

Dimensions
Height: 170 cm

Width: 67 cm