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