The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Aglauros Changed to Stone by Mercury, from a set of eight tapestries depicting the Story of Mercury and Herse

Art Object

Demonstration of David Roentgen's Automaton of Queen Marie Antoinette, The Dulcimer Player

Watch a demonstration of Queen Marie Antoinette's Automaton playing one of eight melodies it can perform.

David Roentgen (1743–1807) took his royal patron by surprise when he delivered this beautiful automaton to King Louis XVI for his queen, Marie Antoinette, in 1784. The cabinetry for this piece is very much a neoclassical masterwork, and the mechanism behind it is truly extraordinary: the figure strikes the strings in perfect rhythm with two small metal hammers held in her hands, which move with great precision.

This object, from the Musée des arts et métiers de Paris, is featured in the exhibition Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens (on view October 30, 2012–January 27, 2013).

View a full documentary featuring this object: http://www.cerimes.fr/le-catalogue/la-joueuse-de-tympanon.html

Footage courtesy of CERIMES.

David Roentgen: Long-Case Clock
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Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration
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Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Animation
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Aglauros Changed to Stone by Mercury, from a set of eight tapestries depicting the Story of Mercury and Herse

Design attributed to Giovanni Battista Lodi da Cremona (Italian, active 1540–52)

Designer:: Border design attributed to Giovanni Francesco Penni (Italian, Florence ca. 1496–after 1528 Naples)
Maker:: Weaving workshop directed by Willem de Pannemaker (Flemish, active Brussels, 1535–78, died 1581)
Date:: ca. 1550
Culture:: Flemish, Brussels
Medium:: Wool, silk, silver and silver gilt thread (20-22 warps per inch, 8-9 per cm.)
Dimensions:: Overall: 170 1/16 x 283 1/16 in. (432 x 719 cm) Overall: 177 x 282 in. (449.6 x 716.3 cm)
Classification:: Textiles
Credit Line:: Bequest of George Blumenthal, 1941
Accession Number:: 41.190.134

This artwork is not on display

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Signature: (on lower right guard) Willem de Pannemaker's mark in gold thread
Provenance

Duke of Lerma, Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas ; from 1603 ; II Duke of Lerma, Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas ; Duchess of Medinaceli, Catalina de Aragón ; De La Cerda family, Dukes of Medinaceli, Spain (since the 16th century, possibly) ; Duchess of Denia (by descent, from 1873–1903) ; Heirs of De La Cerda family, Dukes of Medinaceli, Spain (by descent, in 1909) ; Countess of Valdelagrana, María del Carmen Fernández de Córdoba ; [ Heilbronner Gallery ; sold to Jacques Seligmann ] ; [ Jacques Seligmann ; sold to Mr. Blumenthal ] ; George and Florence Blumenthal
See also
Who
Giovanni Francesco Penni (9)

Giovanni Battista Lodi da Cremona (2)

Willem de Pannemaker (2)
What
Metal (59,364)

Silk (32,922)

Textiles (32,752)

Silver (14,056)

Wool (9,527)

Gilt (9,043)

Tapestries (2,187)
Where
Europe (148,586)

Belgium (1,232)

Brussels (289)
When
A.D. 1400-1600 (20,545)
In the Museum
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts (43,257)
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
Low Countries, 1400–1600 A.D.
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Demonstration of David Roentgen's Automaton of Queen Marie Antoinette, The Dulcimer Player

Aglauros Changed to Stone by Mercury, from a set of eight tapestries depicting the Story of Mercury and Herse

Design attributed to Giovanni Battista Lodi da Cremona (Italian, active 1540–52)

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Demonstration of David Roentgen's Automaton of Queen Marie Antoinette, The Dulcimer Player

Related Content

Aglauros Changed to Stone by Mercury, from a set of eight tapestries depicting the Story of Mercury and Herse

Design attributed to Giovanni Battista Lodi da Cremona (Italian, active 1540–52)

Met Media

Met Kids

Met Store