1.4 Christoph I, Duke of Württemberg
The situation of Flemish weavers did not improve with Philip II’s accession to the throne in the Netherlands and the persecution of heretics.1 This element had a distinct impact on the tapestry industry, because many of the weavers or merchants were sympathetic to the ideas of the Reformation, and some of them very even actively involved. In 1562, at the invitation of Elector Frederick III of the Palatinate, over 58 weavers and their families were relocated to Frankenthal, a small town halfway between Heidelberg and Worms.2 These were weavers from Brussels, Oudenaarde and Tournai. Two years later, another group of weavers moved to Stuttgart under the protection of Duke Christoph of Württemberg (1515-1568).
Christoph von Württemberg’s taste for tapestries was instilled in him from an early age, as he was raised at the court of Innsbruck and placed under Habsburg tutelage. At his initiative, a workshop was created in Stuttgart under the direction of Jacob de Carmes from Oudenaarde, who wove a significant number of tapestries between 1564 and 1573.3 The majority of the cartoons were entrusted to the painter Nikolaus van Orley (Bernard van Orley’s nephew), originally from Brussels, who arrived in the ducal city in 1566.
The Duke of Württemberg’s collection contained no fewer than 139 tapestries. A significant number of pieces came from Brussels. However, the tapestries attributable to his patronage that have survived came from the local workshop. Only one piece is still preserved in Stuttgart.4 It is the Death of Saul, where the Duke’s coat of arms is clearly visible [14]. Four other series, in 25 pieces, are preserved at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.5 Interestingly, all the subjects in these series are taken from the Old Testament (e.g. The Genesis, the Story of Joshua, the Story of Gideon, and the Story of David).
14
studio of Jacob de Carmes after Nikolaus van Orley
The death of Saul, c. 1565-1570
Stuttgart, Landesmuseum Württemberg, inv./cat.nr. 1976-2