Skip to Content

Abundantia from The Four Continents and Related Allegories

A work made of wool and silk, slit and double interlocking tapestry weave
warp: count: 7 warps per cm; wool: s-ply of three z-spun elements; diameters: 0.7–0.9 mm
weft: count: varies from 28 to 44 wefts per cm; wool: single s-spun elements; s-ply of two z-spun elements; diameters: 0.2–0.8 mm; silk: pairs of s-ply of two z-twisted elements; diameters: 0.6–0.8 mm.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of wool and silk, slit and double interlocking tapestry weave
warp: count: 7 warps per cm; wool: s-ply of three z-spun elements; diameters: 0.7–0.9 mm
weft: count: varies from 28 to 44 wefts per cm; wool: single s-spun elements; s-ply of two z-spun elements; diameters: 0.2–0.8 mm; silk: pairs of s-ply of two z-twisted elements; diameters: 0.6–0.8 mm.

Date:

c. 1680/1700

Artist:

After a cartoon by Lodewijk van Schoor (died 1702) and Pieter Spierinckx (1635–1711)
Woven at the workshop of Albert Auwercx (1629–1709)
Brussels

About this artwork

In this tapestry, part of a Four Continents and Related Allegories set, Abundantia, a female personification of abundance, sits on a horn of plenty overflowing with fruit, surrounded by three female attendants, each representing a continent. The kneeling woman crowned with a circlet of blossoms, offering a basket of flowers and fruit, personifies Asia. The dark-skinned woman bearing a horn of plenty full of sheaves of grain represents Africa. The third attendant, who wears a feathered headdress and displays gold, silver, and pearls, can be identified as America. The attributes of all four figures are based on Cesare Ripa’s Iconologia (1593), and their depiction exemplifies the early style of their designer, Lodewijck van Schoor: they have elongated bodies, small heads, long noses, and broad arms and legs, and though they gesture dramatically, their poses are formulae repeated throughout the set.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Artists

Lodewijk van Schoor , Pieter Spierinckx , Workshop of Albert Auwercx (Manufacturer)

Title

Abundantia from The Four Continents and Related Allegories

Places

Flanders (Object made in:), Brussels (Object made in:)

Date

Made 1670-1710

Medium

Wool and silk, slit and double interlocking tapestry weave Warp: Count: 7 warps per cm; wool: S-ply of three Z-spun elements; diameters: 0.7–0.9 mm Weft: Count: varies from 28 to 44 wefts per cm; wool: single S-spun elements; S-ply of two Z-spun elements; diameters: 0.2–0.8 mm; silk: pairs of S-ply of two Z-twisted elements; diameters: 0.6–0.8 mm

Inscriptions

Signed: A. AVWERCX; L.VAN SCHOOR INV PINX

Dimensions

371.2 × 382.5 cm (146 1/8 × 150 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Benjamin E. Bensinger, III

Reference Number

1962.462

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/14696/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share