European Tapestries in The Medieval and Renaissance Eras
At Heirloom Tapestries, we offer a variety of Medieval and Renaissance tapestries. Tapestries were incredibly common in the 14th to 16th century, donning the walls of castles and churches all over Europe. Practically, they were used for insulation, and they made for easy-to-transport decoration. Additionally, because tapestry weaving allows for intricate design, they were able to create the detailed images that they desired at a large scale. During this period, tapestries were quite large, measuring as much as five by 10 yards and often coming in several different pieces. While the material was coarse compared to the artful tapestries woven today, wealthy patrons would commission tapestries to meet specific themes that were woven with silk and metallic thread. These ostentatious designs were used by rulers, both secular and religious, to display their wealth and power.
14th century
Starting in the early 14th century, in northern France and the southern Netherlands, tapestry weaving became a larger industry, allowing weavers to produce a consistent volume of quality tapestries. The industry was sparked by the wider availability of weavers and dyers, the creation of guilds to support this new industry, and local patrons commissioning more and more pieces. By halfway through the fifteenth century, tapestry workshops were prevalent in the Low Countries, and from these towns (including Arras, Lille, and Brussels), wall tapestries were exported all throughout Europe.
15th century
As they were intended to be large scale, medieval tapestries were generally hung in such a way that the design was partially obscured by furniture or other architectural features. In the beginning of the 15th century, tapestry weavers responded by developing a design that distributed the narrative of the story over the entire tapestry, with an emphasis on pattern and lines instead of creating the illusion of volume. Tapestries during this time displayed intricate and iconic narratives, displaying the strong influence of Netherlands weavers. It differed quite a bit from tapestries that were produced in Italy, where small towns like Siena and Mantua were home to several workshops. However, Italian workshops did not output many tapestries or last very long, as they had difficulty retaining wealthy patrons.
In the last 25 years of the 15th century, Brussels became the dominant producer of high-quality tapestries. There were several factors that contributed to this. First, the tapestry weaving industry declined in the other towns on France. Additionally, Brussels emerged as the primary seat of the Burgundian court in the Netherlands. Next, The Guild of Saint Luke, the guild of Brussels, secured a monopoly over creating tapestry cartoons. During this time, Brussels weavers perfected the techniques that allowed them to recreate the effect of paintings, leading to higher quality tapestries.
16th century
The traditional design of tapestries was challenged by the Acts of the Apostles, a set of ten tapestries commissioned by Pope Leo X in 1515. This series depicts cartoons painted by Raphael and was designed to celebrate Leo’s role as Christ’s earthly representative. A large tapestry that incorporates lifesize figures in highly realistic environments, the detail of this tapestry was unlike any other tapestry of its time. Over the next ten years, this style of tapestry was reproduced in Brussels through designs provided by Raphael’s associates. This style highly influenced Netherlandish tapestry weavers, and changed the development of tapestry design in the North.
Bernaert van Orley (1492-1541) was the first Netherlandish painter to incorporate the influences of the Italian Renaissance. In the 1520s, he created a new style that brought together influences from the Netherlandish style of weaving (such as multiple narratives and complex detail in landscapes) and elements from the Italian cartoons of Raphael in Brussels. In particular, he depicted each scene realistically, embodying the emotionality with lifesize figures. This resulted in a style that was suited well for the medium of tapestry weaving.
From 1525 to 1550, the number of wealthy patrons commissioning tapestry art increased throughout Europe, giving cartoonists and weavers greater creative freedom and leading them to develop incredible artistic achievements. As more was accomplished, more and more ambitious designs were commissioned.
Though Brussels was still the capital of tapestry production throughout the majority of the 16th century, other places in Europe began setting up lower quality tapestry workshops. There were quite a few successful workshops throughout France, with Paris as the epicenter. While there are few products left from France during this period, the ones that have survived have proven to be fine and of a high caliber.
The art of tapestry weaving continued to evolve in Italy, spurring new enterprises. In 1536, Ercole II d’Este established workshops in Ferrara, where tapestries by several prominent artists, such as Dosso Dossi and Giulio Romano. Federigo Gonzaga also established a workshop in 1539. Many weavers from these workshops then moved to Florence when two workshops were established there by Cosimo I de Medici in 1545. Though Brussels produced far more tapestries in comparison, the small nature of these workshops allowed them to produce the most innovative tapestries of the time. Though the other workshops fell by the wayside within ten years, the workshops in Florence continued to create tapestries into the next century.
In terms of scale, the Netherlandish tapestry industry of the 1560s has not been surpassed. Brussels attracted an unprecedented amount of commissions due to its ability to dominate the industry with high-quality tapestries. Similarly, Antwerp held command over dispersal and trade. However, the industry faced disruption due to the religious and military conflict that took over the Spanish Netherlands in the 1570s. There was religious persecution in the tapestry industry starting in the 1520s, and in the 1530s and 1540s more and more Flemish weavers had to relocate to practice their beliefs freely. As Philip II tried to repress the Netherlands reform movement in the 1560s, the number of migrants grew significantly. Floods of weavers left the area for other parts of Europe, which drained the industry in Netherland of the top weavers. This only continued as the Netherlands turned to civil war, leading to the destruction of many of the tapestry workshops, causing major issues for the economy, as it was dependent on the production of the high-quality tapestries for which they were renowned.
Though they continued producing tapestries throughout the 16th century, the quality was far lower in terms of design, material, and execution. The important centers of tapestry weaving distributed during this time to cities such as Paris and Munich, and the competition was more evenly split from then on.
As you can see, wall tapestries have a rich history that was influenced by the political and social world of the time. If you wish to decorate your home with these fascinating pieces of art, browse Heirloom Tapestries. We offer a plethora of Medieval and Renaissance tapestries for you and your family to enjoy for years to come. Shop today!