Albert Auwercx Explained

Albert Auwercx (sometimes Auwerx) (c. 1629 - 1709)^[1] was a Brussels tapestry-maker (tapissier) who played an important part in the tapestry industry of that city. His workshop partner was his brother Nicolas^[2]

Early life

Albert Auwercx was born around 1629 to Marcus and Clara Canart. He was christened on 10 February 1629 in the Brussels Church of Our Lady of the Chapel, which was known for its connections to the tapestry industry.^[1]

Tapestry industry

Auwercx opened his workshop in 1657 and was granted exemption from taxation by the city of Brussels in 1671. Through the careful marriages of his children and the choice of godparents for their births he formed alliances with the other important tapissiers. After 1679 he served several terms as dean of the tapestry guild.^[1] In 1705, when the city of Brussels tallied all the tapestry looms in the city, the Auwercx workshop contained five looms. of a citywide total of fifty-three^[3] The weaver's mark AVWERCX^[4] or A. AVWERC^[5] in the selvage often identifies products of his workshop.

Death

Auwercx was buried in the church of Our Lady of the Chapel on 31 August 1709.^[1] His workshop continued to be maintained by his son Philippe (1663 - 1740).

Notes and References

1. Brosens, Koenraad. "Revisiting Brussels Tapestry, 1700–1740: New Data on Tapissiers Albert Auwercx and Judocus de Vos". Textile History, 43 (2), pp. 183–199, November 2012.
2. For instance, together, according to the contract signed 16 December 1699, for the tapestry set glorifying The House of Moncada, for which cartoons were provided by Lambert de Hondt. (Guy Delmarcel et al.. "Spanish family pride in Flemish wool and silk", in Thomas Patrick Campbell, Elizabeth A. H. Clelan, eds. Tapestry in the Baroque: New Aspects of Production and Patronage (Metropolitan Museum of Art). 2010, p287f.
3. The largest shop, that of Joducos de Vos, contained twelve (noted in Koenraad Brosens, "Flemish production, 2660-1715", in Thomas P. Campbell, ed. Tapestry in the Baroque: Threads of Splendor (Metropolitan Museum of Art) 2007, p.451.
4. For instance Ceres, probably from a series of Triumphs of the Gods, sold Sotheby's New York, 1 October 2010.
5. For instance Abundance to a design by Lodewijk van Schoor of Antwerp, on the art market when illustrated by "Early seventeenth-century tapestry" The Lotus Magazine 7.2 (February 1916) p 252f; another weaving is at the Art Institute of Chicago.