The original Nantes toile was based on the central chariot motif of the famous ceiling composition by Guido Reni (I575-1642) in the Aurora casino of the Pallavacini/ Rospigliosi Palace in Rome.

Unfortunately, the designer is not documented in the archives of the printer Petitpierres et Cie.

The ceiling in Rome is still viewable but only by special arrangement.

The same motif inspired Le Brun (1616-1690) for his central grouping of the Baths of Apollo in the gardens of Versailles (not easy to find, but worth the effort).

The toile borrows its other motifs from many classical sources.

The motif of Apollo attempting to seduce Daphne (who turns into a laurel tree) is based on the famous Bernini group in the Borghese Gallery in Rome.

Pegasus, the winged horse, rises from the Temple of Music.

This is founded on the Temple of the Sybil, still precariously perched above the chasm at Tivoli, a short walk from the Palace of the Emperor Hadrian.

The myth of Apollo Incognito, captured by pirates and bound to the masthead, is also given graphic reference in the toile.

Unable to free himself, Apollo managed to strike a resounding chord on his lyre and the whole mast sprouted roses.

Terrified by such a display of magic, the pirates threw the god overboard, but Neptune sent a friendly dolphin to bear his fellow god up from the ocean depths to safety.

In the large dominant motif, Aurora ("rosy-fingered Aurora"), goddess of the dawn, is seen scattering her rose petals in the path of Apollo's chariot.

The god in his role of Phoebus, god of the sun, is emerging from the gloom of night to arch his way across the heavens escorted by the Muses. Indeed, the original toile was called Le Char de l'Aurore (the Chariot of Aurora).

However two muses seem to be absent - there were nine muses according to myth, not seven.

Graham Robertson of ROBERTSON MEAD worked at re-engraving (redrawing) the toile faithfully replicating the original.

He designed it as a wider print, the original being only 100cm wide.

We now offer the work as a "first" document version.

Original prints from the 18th century (dated 1785-1789) are to be seen in Paris in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

There are original prints in The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, which also has prints of ROBERTSON MEAD's two bicentennial toiles in its archives.

There are also 18th century prints of Le Char de l'Aurore in The Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto and the Arts Décoratifs in Nantes (Brittany), where a print by Beautiran of Bordeaux is also to be seen (Beautiran purchased the original metal plate from Petitpierres et Cie, the famous Nantes manufacturers).

ROBERTSON MEAD is grateful for the cooperation of the M.I.S.E. (Musée de l'Impression Sur Etoffes) of Mulhouse, Alsace, where the largest textile archival collection in the world is to be found.

The Musée organised a superb travelling exhibition of 18th and 19th century Nantes toiles in Dec 77-Jan 78, which opened the eyes of scholars, artists and the informed public to hitherto little-known masterpieces.