One of the finest early Renaissance tapestries to have appeared on the market in the twentieth century, this piece is extraordinary for its condition, color, and harmonious composition. Fame stands reading at a lectern, an orb crowned with a cross in one hand, surrounded by writers who have immortalized the deeds of the ancients. His triumph over death is represented by the three Fates beneath his feet. Over his head Atropos, the Fate who cuts the thread of life, appears again, flying toward the mouth of Hell. Below, a rich carpet of flowers, some in fruit, some in seed, echoes the themes of mortality and redemption. Originally, this tapestry was one of six in a sequence representing the triumphs of Love, Chastity, Death, Fame, Time, and Religion. Based in part on Petrarch's poem I Trionfi, this allegorical cycle enjoyed tremendous popularity in the late medieval era, blending superstition with humanistic erudition and providing a resonant mix of entertainment and moral admonition. The series from which this piece derives is the earliest-known treatment of the theme in tapestry. Documented in a Spanish ducal collection in the late nineteenth century, it corresponds exactly with a tapestry purchased in 1504 by Isabel, queen of Castile and Aragón.