In all the pieces there are intense sincerity and real grandeur of design. The _Last Judgment_, in the musical swinging together of the draperies, the perfect control of the great composition, and in the fine development of the dominance of Christ without sacrifice of the minor episodes, as well as in the power of expression of the thrilling solemnity of the moment, deserves to rank with the greatest interpretations of the subject.
_Wool and Silk._ H. 12 _ft._ 3 _in._ W. 13 _ft._ 2 _in._ ]
SCENES FROM A ROMANCE: _A queen surrounded by her court awaits the preparation of a document. There is a general interchange of documents among the courtiers at the right. In the background, upper left, a knight indites a letter, and on the opposite side two knights wait on horseback. The scenes illustrate some contemporary_ _romance and are closely related to the Court of Love tapestries that were so often woven at this time._
[Sidenote: Formerly in the Morgan Collection.]
[Sidenote: Lent by _P. W. French & Company_.]
The cartoon, like those of the _Court of Love_ scenes, is the work of the studio of Maître Philippe. Jean Van Room probably collaborated, as his signature appears on a very similar tapestry of _David and Bathsheba_ in the Royal Spanish Collection.[23] As in that tapestry, the elegantly dressed persons are quite typical of the prosperous burghers of the time and might well be used as fashion plates. The composition is skillful in the balancing of the groups and the massing of the drapes to form a support for the dominant figure of the queen.
H. 13 _ft._ 9 _in._ W. 22 _ft._ 1 _in._ ]
[Sidenote: Barberini Collection; Ffoulke Collection. Illustrated: _Ffoulke Collection_, opp. p. 43. Exhibited: _Exposition d'Art ancien bruxellois, Brussels_, 1905, No. XXI. Illustrated: _Destrée, Catalogue of same_, pl. XXIV.]
THE TRIUMPH OF DAVID: _David carrying the head of Goliath on his sword and surrounded by musicians is followed by King Saul and Jonathan on horseback. In the background a hilly landscape with the tents of the Hebrews. A narrow floral border._
The cartoon was painted by Jean Van Room, his signature appearing on another piece[24] of the same series in the Musée du Cinquantenaire, Brussels. Maître Philippe must have collaborated with him in this work, for a strong Italian influence is evident which appears only in the Van Room tapestries that have had Philippe's assistance.