The History of Tapestries

A History of Tapestries.paintings rather than independent works of art. In
A tapestry wall-hanging in your home brings not just1515 Raphael was commissioned by the Pope to paint
interior beauty but also a sense of history. Europeancartoons for the 'Acts of the Apostles' tapestries for
weavers have produced these textiles for centuries,the Sistine Chapel. His introduction of perspective and
including the medieval, renaissance and Arts andcomposition together with the use of finer yarns
Crafts periods.Tapestries have been woven fordyed in up to 300 colour shades led to the
hundreds of years in diverse cultures. Both ancientsubservience of tapestry to painting for over 300
Egyptians and the Incas buried their dead in tapestryyears.In 1663, during the lavish reign of Louis XIV,
woven clothing. Important civic buildings of the GreekLes Gobelins factory was founded in Paris employing
Empire, including the Parthenon, had walls covered byover 800 artisans in the production of tapestries for
them. However it was the French medieval weaversthe royal court. Other European countries followed,
who brought the craft to fruition.In the 13th and 14thopening factories on behalf of their rulers. They
centuries the Church recognized the value ofemployed Flemish weavers who by now had to
tapestries in illustrating Bible stories to its illiteratecomplete a twelve year apprenticeship. Louis XIV's
congregations. Few of these have survived. Theestate inventory at his death listed 2,155 Gobelins
oldest existing set is the Apocalypse of St John, sixtapestries. Henry VIII's collection totalled over 2,000
finely woven hangings 18 foot high, totalling 471 footin seventeen royal residences.
in length which were woven from 1375 to 1379 inRococco landscapes were popular in the 18th
Paris. This was the centre of production until thecentury typified by the designs of Francois Boucher
Hundred Years War (1337 - 1453) caused the(1703-70), director of the royal workshops at
weavers to flee north via Arras to Flanders (nowBeauvais for 30 years. His cartoons produced over
Belgium and northern France).Tapestries became400 tapestries.During the French Revolution the social
status symbols amongst the aristocracy in the Middlechanges of the times so decimated the tapestry
Ages. They also had much practical use, providingmarket that the French Directory ordered 190 be
insulation for castle walls, covering openings and givingburnt in 1797 rather than retain them for their value
privacy around beds. Kings and nobles took them oncomplete. They considered the gold and silver
their travels from castle to castle for reasons ofthreads to have greater value. However a positive
comfort and prestige. Tapestries often changeddevelopment of this period was the invention of the
hands after battle, and since the victor's door andJacquard mechanical loom in Flanders in 1804. It
window openings might be a different size theprocessed perforated cards, like pianolas or early IBM
acquired hangings might be cut up or even joined tocomputers, which fed the coloured yarns to the
other tapestries.Many of the best known works suchshuttle. It enabled tapestries to become accessible to
as the 'Lady with the Unicorn' series were woven ata wider market and it still forms the basis of the
the turn of the 15th century in the Loire valley. It hastechniques used today.By the late 1800's the Gobelins
been estimated that 15,000 people were employed indyeworks produced a colour range of 14,000 tones.
the craft at this time. Many were itinerant andProducing tapestries with such detailing had not
passed their skills from father to son. Their charmingsurprisingly become very expensive. Furthermore little
'mille fleurs' scenes had backgrounds of small localcreativity existed with most pieces being based on
flowers, perhaps inspired by the practice of strewingearlier designs.Modern tapestry weaving owes much
roadways with flowers on local fete days. At thisto the vigour and freedom bought by the Arts and
time it would take a skilled father/son team twoCrafts Movement headed by William Morris in England.
months to weave just one square foot of tapestry -He revived many old crafts; tapestry weaving being
and, remember, these were on a large scale.Medievalone of the beneficiaries of his fresh vision and
weavers extracted their dyes from plants andcreative energy. He visited French weavers in 1878
insects in a range of less than twenty colours. Forand described the workshops at Aubusson as 'a
example, red came from madder, poppies ordecaying commercial industry of rubbish'. A year later
pomegranates and woad produced blue (a processhe had a high-warp loom built in his bedroom where
that was so profitable in 16th century France thathe taught himself to weave from an 18th century
importing woad from the East was punishable byFrench craft manual. With colleagues and friends he
death).The most popular medieval images weredesigned tapestries, like the Woodpecker, based on
Biblical stories, myths, allegories (the ever-popularmedieval styles and techniques. The weavers at
unicorn represented purity), and contemporaryMorris and Co. achieved commercial success and,
scenes of peasants working or nobles hunting. Battlesmore importantly, revived the ailing craft.Today few
were commissioned by victorious monarchs after thetapestries are hand-woven due to the expense of
early 1500's. The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V wastheir laborious production. Les Gobelins does continue
even accompanied into battle by his court painterthis tradition on 19th century looms, producing
who made sketches at the site for later weaving.modern designs for prestigious French public buildings.
Hunting scenes led to 'verdure' tapestries of lushBut for us modern yarns and techniques enable us to
landscapes which later became romanticized withenjoy superlative copies of works of art at
increasing Italian influences.Medieval weavers usedaffordable prices (sometimes cheaper than a framed
working sketches which they freely adapted withprint). Today's tapestries include reproductions of
imagination and sometimes humour. By themuseum originals and classic works of art but they
Renaissance these had become full-sized workingalso offer a wide variety of contemporary designs.
drawings ('cartoons') which were rigidly copied by theThe range is broad, with something for everyone.
weavers. Thus tapestries became mere copies of