| A History of Tapestries. | | | | rather than independent works of art. In 1515 |
| | | | Raphael was commissioned by the Pope to paint |
| A tapestry wall-hanging in your home brings | | | | cartoons for the 'Acts of the Apostles' |
| not just interior beauty but also a sense of | | | | tapestries for the Sistine Chapel. His |
| history. European weavers have produced these | | | | introduction of perspective and composition |
| textiles for centuries, including the | | | | together with the use of finer yarns dyed in |
| medieval, renaissance and Arts and Crafts | | | | up to 300 colour shades led to the |
| periods.Tapestries have been woven for | | | | subservience of tapestry to painting for over |
| hundreds of years in diverse cultures. Both | | | | 300 years.In 1663, during the lavish reign of |
| ancient Egyptians and the Incas buried their | | | | Louis XIV, Les Gobelins factory was founded |
| dead in tapestry woven clothing. Important | | | | in Paris employing over 800 artisans in the |
| civic buildings of the Greek Empire, | | | | production of tapestries for the royal court. |
| including the Parthenon, had walls covered by | | | | Other European countries followed, opening |
| them. However it was the French medieval | | | | factories on behalf of their rulers. They |
| weavers who brought the craft to fruition.In | | | | employed Flemish weavers who by now had to |
| the 13th and 14th centuries the Church | | | | complete a twelve year apprenticeship. Louis |
| recognized the value of tapestries in | | | | XIV's estate inventory at his death listed |
| illustrating Bible stories to its illiterate | | | | 2,155 Gobelins tapestries. Henry VIII's |
| congregations. Few of these have survived. | | | | collection totalled over 2,000 in seventeen |
| The oldest existing set is the Apocalypse of | | | | royal residences. |
| St John, six finely woven hangings 18 foot | | | | |
| high, totalling 471 foot in length which were | | | | Rococco landscapes were popular in the 18th |
| woven from 1375 to 1379 in Paris. This was | | | | century typified by the designs of Francois |
| the centre of production until the Hundred | | | | Boucher (1703-70), director of the royal |
| Years War (1337 - 1453) caused the weavers to | | | | workshops at Beauvais for 30 years. His |
| flee north via Arras to Flanders (now Belgium | | | | cartoons produced over 400 tapestries.During |
| and northern France).Tapestries became status | | | | the French Revolution the social changes of |
| symbols amongst the aristocracy in the Middle | | | | the times so decimated the tapestry market |
| Ages. They also had much practical use, | | | | that the French Directory ordered 190 be |
| providing insulation for castle walls, | | | | burnt in 1797 rather than retain them for |
| covering openings and giving privacy around | | | | their value complete. They considered the |
| beds. Kings and nobles took them on their | | | | gold and silver threads to have greater |
| travels from castle to castle for reasons of | | | | value. However a positive development of this |
| comfort and prestige. Tapestries often | | | | period was the invention of the Jacquard |
| changed hands after battle, and since the | | | | mechanical loom in Flanders in 1804. It |
| victor's door and window openings might be a | | | | processed perforated cards, like pianolas or |
| different size the acquired hangings might be | | | | early IBM computers, which fed the coloured |
| cut up or even joined to other | | | | yarns to the shuttle. It enabled tapestries |
| tapestries.Many of the best known works such | | | | to become accessible to a wider market and it |
| as the 'Lady with the Unicorn' series were | | | | still forms the basis of the techniques used |
| woven at the turn of the 15th century in the | | | | today.By the late 1800's the Gobelins |
| Loire valley. It has been estimated that | | | | dyeworks produced a colour range of 14,000 |
| 15,000 people were employed in the craft at | | | | tones. Producing tapestries with such |
| this time. Many were itinerant and passed | | | | detailing had not surprisingly become very |
| their skills from father to son. Their | | | | expensive. Furthermore little creativity |
| charming 'mille fleurs' scenes had | | | | existed with most pieces being based on |
| backgrounds of small local flowers, perhaps | | | | earlier designs.Modern tapestry weaving owes |
| inspired by the practice of strewing roadways | | | | much to the vigour and freedom bought by the |
| with flowers on local fete days. At this time | | | | Arts and Crafts Movement headed by William |
| it would take a skilled father/son team two | | | | Morris in England. He revived many old |
| months to weave just one square foot of | | | | crafts; tapestry weaving being one of the |
| tapestry - and, remember, these were on a | | | | beneficiaries of his fresh vision and |
| large scale.Medieval weavers extracted their | | | | creative energy. He visited French weavers in |
| dyes from plants and insects in a range of | | | | 1878 and described the workshops at Aubusson |
| less than twenty colours. For example, red | | | | as 'a decaying commercial industry of |
| came from madder, poppies or pomegranates and | | | | rubbish'. A year later he had a high-warp |
| woad produced blue (a process that was so | | | | loom built in his bedroom where he taught |
| profitable in 16th century France that | | | | himself to weave from an 18th century French |
| importing woad from the East was punishable | | | | craft manual. With colleagues and friends he |
| by death).The most popular medieval images | | | | designed tapestries, like the Woodpecker, |
| were Biblical stories, myths, allegories (the | | | | based on medieval styles and techniques. The |
| ever-popular unicorn represented purity), and | | | | weavers at Morris and Co. achieved commercial |
| contemporary scenes of peasants working or | | | | success and, more importantly, revived the |
| nobles hunting. Battles were commissioned by | | | | ailing craft.Today few tapestries are |
| victorious monarchs after the early 1500's. | | | | hand-woven due to the expense of their |
| The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V was even | | | | laborious production. Les Gobelins does |
| accompanied into battle by his court painter | | | | continue this tradition on 19th century |
| who made sketches at the site for later | | | | looms, producing modern designs for |
| weaving. Hunting scenes led to 'verdure' | | | | prestigious French public buildings. But for |
| tapestries of lush landscapes which later | | | | us modern yarns and techniques enable us to |
| became romanticized with increasing Italian | | | | enjoy superlative copies of works of art at |
| influences.Medieval weavers used working | | | | affordable prices (sometimes cheaper than a |
| sketches which they freely adapted with | | | | framed print). Today's tapestries include |
| imagination and sometimes humour. By the | | | | reproductions of museum originals and classic |
| Renaissance these had become full-sized | | | | works of art but they also offer a wide |
| working drawings ('cartoons') which were | | | | variety of contemporary designs. The range is |
| rigidly copied by the weavers. Thus | | | | broad, with something for everyone. |
| tapestries became mere copies of paintings | | | | |