About this artwork
This narrow panel and its companion belong to a suite known as The Grotesque Months, which depicts the 12 months of the year and their associated zodiac signs. A Roman deity, centrally positioned within a pergola, personifies each month. June, with the sign of Cancer—a crab—in the oval at the top of the tapestry, shows the messenger god Mercury. Above and below Mercury appear his associated attributes, including his emblematic rooster, and a miniature scene showing an episode from the tale of his sly betrayal and murder of the giant Argus. These tapestries are in the light, open style inspired by Renaissance artists’ rediscovery and reinterpretation of the Classical wall paintings found among the buried ruins of ancient buildings, called grotti, or caves. By the later 17th century, this so-called grotesque style appealed to an elite group of French aristocrats led by Louis, the Grand Dauphin (1682–1712), son and heir of Louis XIV (r. 1715–74).
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Textiles
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Artists
- Claude III Audran (Designer) , Manufacture Royale des Gobelins (Producer)
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Title
- The Month of June/The Sign of Cancer, from The Grotesque Months
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Places
- Paris (Object made in), France (Object made in)
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Date
- Made 1716-1736
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Medium
- Wool and silk, slit and double interlocking tapestry weave
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Dimensions
- 71.5 × 293.7 cm (28 1/8 × 115 5/8 in.)
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Credit Line
- Bessie Bennett Endowment
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Reference Number
- 1951.260
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/75668/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.
