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Tapestries from Europe - What Are The Facts & How to Find Them?

Last Updated on Wednesday, 31 December 1969 15:59 Written by Stacy Mar Friday, 16 January 2009 09:39

"Tapestry" is derived from the Greek word "tapetion" and pieces of Greek tapestries were found are from the 3rd century B.C. In the Egyptian paintings 3000 B.C. show weavers at work on large looms similar to those used to make rugs. Temporarily this ancient art form died out as a part of Western culture and did not re-emerge until the 8th century. It was the Moors from Spain that reintroduced this wonderful textile art to Europe. From Spain, this industry spread to France and to the Netherlands and both became major centers for the production of European tapestries.

"Tapestry" is derived from the Greek word "tapetion" and pieces of Greek tapestries were found are from the 3rd century B.C. In the Egyptian paintings 3000 B.C. show weavers at work on large looms similar to those used to make rugs. Temporarily this ancient art form died out as a part of Western culture and did not re-emerge until the 8th century. It was the Moors from Spain that reintroduced this wonderful textile art to Europe. From Spain, this industry spread to France and to the Netherlands and both became major centers for the production of European tapestries.

European tapestries produced during the Middle Ages and Renaissance were designed for use in large buildings such as churches and castles. Because these tapestries were, first and foremost, extravagant works of art, it is easy to overlook their functional nature. They blocked drafts around windows, doors and beds and served as room dividers. Tapestry's pliable fabrication made it easy to roll them up. Thus, they could be easily taken from place to place or kept in reserve for special occasions. Most of the tapestries commissioned by monarchs of the time were designed to shown victory in battle, tournaments and hunting. The church commissioned works, often in sets, depicting people and stories from the Bible. This was especially useful in a time when much of the population was illiterate.

European tapestry production took place in workshops, which could represent a town or an entire region. The intricate and detailed nature of the tapestries required highly technically skilled weavers who had to serve arduous apprenticeships before becoming master weavers. The tapestry weaver tradition was usually passed down from each generation and, as a result, most workers in a given workshop were related either directly or by marriage. Some tapestry workshops were established by royal decree. In the case of Paris' renowned Manufacture des Gobelins tapestry factory, France's Sun King, Louis XIV, ordered it into being solely to provide his court with tapestries, mainly of his own image.

From essentially 1500 to 1750 is considered the Golden Age of European tapestry production. During these Middle Ages, it was common for weavers to use artistic interpretation freely in creating tapestries from cartoons or working sketches. By the 16th century tapestry production was a highly regulated, rigidly controlled industry. The designs or "cartoons" were paintings and were strictly copied by the weavers into the tapestries they wove. One notable of ten tapestries created from the cartoons by Rafael, are the Acts of the Apostles and hang in the Sistine Chapel. Most impressive works and the exquisite detail as well as color equaled any paintings of the time.

Even at its height, the European tapestry industry was not immune to the events shaping the social and political climate. Netherlands' involvement in the Eighty Years War with Spain (1568-1648) caused the center of tapestry production to shift away from that country. Many of its most talented artists and weavers fled to other parts of Europe such as Britain, Italy and France. The new workshops established by Flemish immigrants was of great benefit to tapestry production in these countries. Tapestries were sought after as decorations for many of the royal courts of these place. Following the fashion started by Louis XIV of France, Cosimo de' Medici of Florence ordered many tapestries made.

Tapestry production in Netherlands did rebound after the war and continued to produce the high quality weavings for which it was famous. However, it now had competition from other established centers. Many places, most notably Paris, produced tapestries that were the equal of any coming from the Low Countries. However, the French Revolution (1789 - 1799) nearly destroyed that country's flourishing industry. Once the king had been deposed and the aristocracy ruined, tapestry workshops found themselves deprived of their main clients. Now symbolic of a disgraced and detested regime, existing tapestries were often destroyed or vandalized. Because many European tapestries contained gold and other lesser metals, they were frequently burned in order to retrieve these materials. These components could then be used as currency, in the case of gold, or even to make bullets.

European tapestries enjoyed immense popularity throughout the continent during the first part of the eighteenth century. The production centers in France and the Netherlands remained dominant. However, new workshops were created by royal decree: in Madrid, by Philip V and in St. Petersburg by Peter the Great. The courts of Germany and Italy continued to support their enterprises as well. However, rise of a commercial middle class engendered a market for less costly tapestries. This caused many workshops, like Aubusson in France, to increase production of coarser, hence more affordable, tapestries. Many of these producers attracted less affluent customers by manufacturing slightly altered designs of masters such as Boucher.

In the latter part of the eighteenth century, fewer and fewer tapestries were used in interior design. Instead, elements such as furniture, paintings, mirrors and drapes became increasingly fashionable. Tapestries also remained fairly expensive which was another reason for the decline of their use. All over Europe, but especially in France and the Low Countries, tapestry production began to decline sharply. By the late 1700s, the manufacture of traditional European tapestries was well on its way to dying out. Occasionally, a large piece might be commissioned for public display and there was a concerted effort in Great Britain to revive their national enterprise. However, it was not enough. By the late 1800s, tapestry production had virtually disappeared in Europe.

The beginning of the twentieth century saw the Industrial Revolution and the automation of textile production. At the end of the nineteenth century, an association of artists in England calling themselves the Arts and Crafts movement came together with the purpose of maintaining the authentic methods of crafts production such as tapestries. William Morris, the leader of the English movement, established a tapestry factory near London to produce the designs of himself, William Crane and Sir Edward Burne-Jones. In France, painter Jean Lurat, was also involved in the resurgence of tapestry production. Although many of his contemporaries like Picasso, Braque and Mir were producing cartoons to be copied as tapestries, Lurat, re-envisioned the tapestry craft as an art form in its own right rather than subordinate to painting. His vision and dedication to this cause helped tapestry reinvent itself to become the dynamic art form it is today.