A Brussels figural tapestry 'the Feeding of the Chickens', after Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678), Scenes from Country Life series, mid-17th century, possibly workshop of Jacob Geubels II, depicting a pastoral maiden in clogs and rustic dress scattering grains from a basket, surrounded by animals including a hound, peacock and chickens, within an elaborate vaulted architectural setting flanked by masks and columns, the lower selvedge with B*B Brussels town mark, later backed, 378cm high, 259cm wide Antwerp-born painter Jacob Jordaens followed in the footsteps of Rubens and Van Dyck as the city's leading artist during the 17th century. While he completed numerous mythological and religious commissions including for the Swedish and English Royal courts, he is most well-known for his exuberant genre scenes, characterised by a strong sense of realism. These qualities translate to the Scenes from Country Life tapestry series, which Jordaens is suspected to have designed during the 1620s or 1630s. It is possible that the present tapestry originates from the renowned workshop of the Geubels family in Brussels, who had been active as tapestry weavers since the 16th century and are known to have woven this series. A related tapestry is in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, and another survives at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, which holds the most complete set of panels from this series. Related literature: J. Mulherron, "Jacob Jordaens's elements and humours tapestries", National Trust Historic Houses and Collections, (2012), p. 5-1