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A tapestry fragment depicting the Battle of Marcus Aurelius against the Germans Third quarter of 17th century, Antwerp, probably Atelier of Michiel Wauters (1648-1679) designed by Abraham Van Diepewdeek (Antwerp, 1596-1675) and P.P Rubens (177-1640) 260cm x 177.5cm overall image 1
A tapestry fragment depicting the Battle of Marcus Aurelius against the Germans Third quarter of 17th century, Antwerp, probably Atelier of Michiel Wauters (1648-1679) designed by Abraham Van Diepewdeek (Antwerp, 1596-1675) and P.P Rubens (177-1640) 260cm x 177.5cm overall image 2
A tapestry fragment depicting the Battle of Marcus Aurelius against the Germans Third quarter of 17th century, Antwerp, probably Atelier of Michiel Wauters (1648-1679) designed by Abraham Van Diepewdeek (Antwerp, 1596-1675) and P.P Rubens (177-1640) 260cm x 177.5cm overall image 3
A tapestry fragment depicting the Battle of Marcus Aurelius against the Germans Third quarter of 17th century, Antwerp, probably Atelier of Michiel Wauters (1648-1679) designed by Abraham Van Diepewdeek (Antwerp, 1596-1675) and P.P Rubens (177-1640) 260cm x 177.5cm overall image 4
Lot 12TP

A tapestry fragment depicting the Battle of Marcus Aurelius against the Germans
Third quarter of 17th century, Antwerp, probably Atelier of Michiel Wauters (1648-1679) designed by Abraham Van Diepewdeek (Antwerp, 1596-1675) and P.P Rubens (177-1640) 260cm x 177.5cm overall

3 December 2025, 13:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

£6,000 - £8,000

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A tapestry fragment depicting the Battle of Marcus Aurelius against the Germans

Third quarter of 17th century, Antwerp, probably Atelier of Michiel Wauters (1648-1679) designed by Abraham Van Diepewdeek (Antwerp, 1596-1675) and P.P Rubens (177-1640)
Probably from a series depicting the life of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor to the centre of the battlefield, dressed in elaborate armour and rich scarlet robe, astride his rearing steed, a spear held aloft in his right hand trampling the body of a foot-soldier beneath,
260cm x 177.5cm overall

Footnotes

Provenance
Private Collection of a Roman Palazzo.
Private Collection Belgium.
Acquired by the present vendor in Ghent.

The present lot would have originally been part of an eight part series on the life of Marcus Aurelius. Other scenes would have included The Coronation of the Emperor, The Procession, The Plague, The Emperor Leading His Son to the Philosophers, The Triumph of Marcus Aurelius. Battle scenes identical to the present lot (but with various borders and un-cut) can be found in the Museu de Arte Antiga, Lisbon, in the Reiss Museum, Mannheim, and in the Palazzo Venezia, Rome.

This particular scene is illustrated in Guy Delmarcel, La Tapisserie Flamande as L'Empereur Marc-Aurèle sur le champ de bataille, Anvers, atelier de Michiel Wauters d'après Abraham van Diepenceeck, troisième quart du XVIIème siècle., 1999, p258.


Literature
M.J. de Mendoça, As tapeçarias da historia de Marco Aurello, in: Boltim dos Museus Nacionais de Arte Antiga 1, 1936; pp. 57-67

Additional information