Bacchus Triumphant (or Autumn), late 17th century (around 1683), workshop of the Saint Joseph convent in Paris, wool and silk on linen canvas, 440 cm x 274 cm, Royal Manufacturers De Wit Fine Tapestries.

LONDON.- An important sale has come to light from the 63rd edition of BRAFA 2018, which took place from 27 January - 4 February. It has been announced that the V & A acquired an important embroidered wall-hanging entitled Bacchus Triumphant from the Royal Manufacturers De Wit Fine Tapestries Belgium, one of the world’s oldest leading tapestry weavers and restorers. 

The large-scale embroidered wall-hanging has been attributed to the embroidery workshop of the Saint Joseph convent in Paris, made at the end of the 17th century and representing Louis-César de Bourbon, Count of Vexin, second son of King Louis XIV and the Marquise de Montespan. 

The work belongs to a series of eight pieces representing the ‘Sun King’, his mistress Madame de Montespan and six of their children. Each of these protagonists personifies a season or element of nature. The convent of Saint Joseph was under the direct patronage of Madame de Montespan, which is where she finally found refuge after being banned from the court. The V & A already owns another piece from this series, which the newly acquired one is intended form a pair with. Four other pieces from the series are owned by the Metropolitan Museum in New York, whilst the other two remaining pieces were lost during the German occupation in World War II. 

The Royal Manufacturers De Wit Fine Tapestries celebrated the one hundred and twenty-five years they have devoted to selling and conserving fine tapestries in 2014. Founded in 1889, De Wit use the most innovative techniques to protect the world's finest public and private tapestry collections. Yvan Maes De Wit, the present director, represents the fourth generation of tapestry weavers and restorers, which cleans, conserves and restores tapestries utilising their unequalled experience and state of the art technology.