Tapestry - The Rise and Fall of the Renaissance

Some of the most remarkable Tapestries, during the early Renaissance, were produced due to the patronage of the court of King Charles V, and that of his three brothers; the Dukes of Anjou, Berry and Burgundy. The famous Apocalypse Tapestries, ‘Tapisseries de l’Apocalypse’, were produced by Nicolas Bataille and Robert Poinçon for the Duke of Anjou. Originally, a hundred Tapestries were produced for the series, between 1375 and 1382, of which seventy managed to survive the French Revolution. When the English invaded, from 1418 to 1436, many weavers moved North to Arras and Tournai. These towns, consequently, became famous for Tapestry art, to such an extent that ‘Arras’ was used to describe all Tapestries in various European languages.

The Renaissance began at different times for different European countries. However, it is generally accepted that the period began in the fourteen hundreds, ending in the sixteen hundreds. It was a time when the passion for learning was rekindled, especially in the arts, and Tapestries were not excluded. Tapestries from the Middle Ages were huge narratives and, because of this, many details would frequently be obscured by furniture, or the architectural design of the room. Therefore, the overall impact, and narrative would also be obscured. Early on, in the fifteenth century, Tapestries took on a new concept within their design. Emphasis was no longer placed solely on the sheer size of the Tapestry and iconographic complexity of the narrative. The line and pattern of the Tapestry would often be considered as equally important.

An example of this emerging style can be observed in a series of Tapestries, known as ‘The Story of the Trojan War’. The Tapestries were based on a composite cartoon which, as the title suggests, illustrated stories from the Trojan War. The Trojan Tapestries were produced in the southern region of the Netherlands, and it is thought, Pasquier Grenier of Tournai created the series. These highly ambitious Tapestries were a gift for Charles the Bold and presented to this duke of Burgundy in 1472. The Trojan legends were highly appealing to Burgundy Dukes, as they maintained that Troy’s last King, Priam, was their ancestor. A significant number of Tapestry workshops, by the middle of the fifteenth century, were exporting Tapestries throughout the European countries. These were mainly based in Northern France and the South Netherlands regions.

From around 1480 to 1520 the famous French Renaissance Tapestries known as the ‘Mille Fleurs’ were produced. These Tapestries were highly symbolic, depicting myths and legends in exquisite courtly detail. Mille Fleur Tapestries are characterized by their background, which always contain a collection of small flower motifs. Hence their name, which translated, means ‘a thousand flowers’. The origin of these Tapestries is unclear. However, the Loire Valley is favored. These are a set of six Tapestries commissioned by Jean Le Viste. Prosper Mérimée, the famous novelist, discovered the Tapestries in 1841, in storage at Boussac Castle in 1841. Today, they are on display in the Musée de Cluny, Paris. Until the end of the sixteenth century, Mille Fleur Tapestries continued to increase in popularity, and were produced in many areas of France and Southern regions of the Netherlands. One of the best known examples of ‘Mille Fleur’ Tapestries is the ‘Lady and the Unicorn’, produced around 1490.

Towards the end of the fifteenth century, the quality Tapestries of the Netherlands became more and more dominated by the Brussels’ workshops. Tapestry production in Arras and Tournai began to decline, whereas the Brussels’ weavers exacted their techniques, becoming the accepted centre for Tapestry design. In Brussels, the Pannemaker family dominated the Tapestry industry during the sixteenth century. Historical records indicate that much of the French, independent, weavers did continue to produce Tapestries during this time, although few survived. The sheer scale by which the Netherlands’ industry managed to produce Tapestries has never been exceeded. War led to an exodus of weavers to other countries throughout Europe. Tapestry production did continue, to an extent, although their quality was to become only a reflection of previous times. During the ultimate years of the sixteen hundreds, new Tapestry centres would evolve, primarily in Paris, once again, but also Munich and Delft. However, this time, the commissions of the nobility would be much more evenly balanced between these centres.

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