The History of Hannibal: The Spoils of Cannae
ArtistAttributed to
François Geubels
(Flemish, active 1546 - 1579)
CultureFlemish
Dateca. 1550
MediumWool and silk tapestry
DimensionsOverall: 139 x 168 in. (353.1 x 426.7 cm)
Inscribed"He leaves those who have been laid low in hard combat, to compute with trembling fingers a treasure of gold". Also signed lower left: a capital "B" with a shield and another "B" backwards.
Credit LineGift of the Irene Leache Memorial Foundation, in memory of Anna Cogswell Wood
Object number2014.3.17
Not on view
DescriptionThis is a large wool and silk tapestry made in Belgium. The large dominating central figure is Hannibal. He is dressed in ornate red armor and wearing a long blue cloak. He wears his sword, shin guards and arm guards. In his left hand is a baton. He is tall and slender with golden curly hair and beard. With him in the foreground are two women and a man. They are presenting him with treasure, it appears to be gold coins and jewelry. Behind Hannibal are two turbanned men. In the right foreground stand two armed guards with their backs to the viewer. The right background scene seems to be a plundering of the dead; on the left, a small group of calvary men gather. In the far distance center a castle and city scape shrouded between trees. A company on a camel are moving off into a copse of trees in the right background distance. The border is a melange of foliage, fruit, flowers, and seated women. The top has inscribed in Latin, "He leaved those who have been laid low in hard combat to compute with trembling fingers a treasure of gold." In lower left corner, the mark of two letter Bs with a red escutcheon between them, stands for Brussels Brabant (the town's identification mark).Label TextAttributed to François Geubels Flemish, active 1546–1579 The History of Hannibal: The Spoils of Cannae, ca. 1550 Wool and silk tapestry The classical past became fertile ground for Renaissance artists, as this grand tapestry reveals. It celebrates one of the most daring military exploits in ancient history—Hannibal’s near-defeat of Rome during the Second Punic War (218–203 B.C.E.). At center, the general receives the spoils of war after winning a battle. The Latin inscription describes the action: “He leaves those who have been laid low in hard combat to reckon with trembling fingers a treasure of gold." The sheer quality and scale of the tapestry suggest it took a large team of expert weavers to carry out François Geubels’ design. Indeed, the double “B” at the lower left corner proudly announces the workers were from Brussels—then the leading center of European tapestry production. Gift of the Irene Leache Memorial Foundation, in memory of Anna Cogswell Wood 2014.3.17 ProvenanceGift of the Irene Leache Memorial Foundation to the Chrysler Museum of Art, March 2014.
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