Flemish Baroque Tapestry

Signed Gaspar van der Borcht

Brussels circa 1730

Achilles and “The Trojan War” series

Designed by Jan van Orley with Augustin Coppens

342 × 553 cm

The Wrath of Achilles belongs to a “Story of Achilles” tapestry series that was designed around 1730 by Brussels painters Jan van Orley (1665–1735) and Augustin Coppens (1668–1740), by far the most prolific tapestry designers of the first half of the eighteenth century. At least eight editions of the set, which was one of the last monumental and commercially successful series created in Brussels, were produced by Brussels tapissier Gaspar van der Borcht (1675–1742) and his sons and successors Jan Frans (1697–1774) and Peter van der Borcht (1712–1760) between about 1730 and 1770.

Thank you to Koenraad Brosens, University of Leuven, Belguim, for his essay on this particular tapestry.