Tapestry: L'Aurore et Céphale, from Les Tentures de François Boucher Series

Based on Book VII of <span class="text-link" onclick="javascript:link(84, 1163, event);">Ovid's <span class="text-link" onclick="javascript:link(84, 490, event);">Metamorphoses, the <span class="text-link" onclick="javascript:link(84, 637, event);">roundel in this tapestry shows Aurora, goddess of the dawn, gazing upon the sleeping form of her lover, the hunter Cephalus. She sits among clouds with the morning star shining on her forehead. Cephalus, a mortal who is bound to the earth, reclines on the forest floor, but his dog awakens as the goddess approaches.
 
This roundel imitates a painting set in an oval frame, complete with François Boucher's signature under Cephalus. Exotic birds and a hunting trophy in the center ornament the <span class="text-link" onclick="javascript:link(84, 123, event);">alentours or decorative setting, which was narrower than others in the set in order to fit the shorter wall of a room.

This tapestry comes from a series called Les Tentures de François Boucher, which depicts scenes of classical mythology. Three others from this set appear in the Getty collection:Jupiter transformé en Diane pour surprendre Callisto avec Vertumne et Pomone, Vénus sortant des eaux, and Vénus aux forges de Vulcain.