Tapestry with the Monogram of Sigismund Augustus in Cartouche

This tapestry of a group of monogram grotesques with the initials of King Sigismund II Augustus placed under a crown in a decorative cartouche belongs to a series of seven drapes (door curtains). In four of them, the cartouche is accompanied by satyrs playing instruments while the other three depict nymphs sitting on thrones.

The composition is a representative example of ornamentation called Netherlandish grotesque. It was modelled on a print of ca. 1546 by Cornelis Bos, one of the founders and pioneers of this type of decoration. The painted design for the tapestry was modified, but the set of motifs and the general outline remained unchanged.

Two bearded satyrs, standing back to back, play trembitas under the cartouche of an embellished contour, near an openwork frame which supports a vase with a bouquet of flowers, fruit and leaves. They seem to be playing music for animals settled in the corners of the tapestry – snails, a crane and an owl. A structure...