Panel (Furnishing Fabric)

The historical significance of this panel comes not from its representation but from its precise documentation in textile history. It is one of the earliest examples using copper plate printing, signed and dated in the plate in two places. the pastoral scene is from an etching by Nicholas Berchem (1620- 1683), dating from 1652; the peacock and poultry still life can be traced to an engraving by Josephus Sympson (1710- 1750) published in London in 1740, after a painting by Marmaduke Cradock (1660- 1717). The columns are emblematic of the classical- revival style favored at the time and the stag and dog motifs can be traced to the volume entitled "Animals of Various Species Accurately Drawn" by Francis Barlow (1626- 1702).