Triumph of Fame
Triumph of Hope
John the Baptist
Jacob meets Esau
Triumph of Pompey
Garden of love
Tapestry
A tapestry is a lint-free wall rug with an ornamental, narrative or figurative image created by interweaving warp and weft yarns. The technique of tapestry weaving, known for several millennia, enabled the creation of woven images that were an integral part of their material structure. As the art of tapestry weaving evolved, the utilitarian function of the tapestry became secondary to the aesthetic and artistic significance of the "woven stories".
ABOUT THE ART
OF TAPESTRY WEAVING
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YELENA KALNITSKAYA
Director General
The Peterhof State Museum-Reserve
(2009-2022)
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VERA DEMENTIEVA
Director
The Pavlovsk State Museum-Reserve
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ILYA DORONCHENKOV
Deputy Director for Science
The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts
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In the second half of the 15th century, when tapestries took an important place in the decoration of Western European monarchs' courts and churches, the main centre of European tapestry production was the Southern Netherlands, part of the Habsburg Empire. The specifics of manufacturing of tapestries meant that it was possible to create large-scale narrative and decorative compositions - series of tapestries.
Tapestry series with scenes from the Holy Scriptures, ancient mythology, historical and literary subjects began to play an important role in the entertainment and ideological practice of Western European courts. The grandios look of tapestries, their decorative scope and their ability to strongly influence the conscience of the royal subjects, all these functions matched the desire of monarchs' courts to demonstrate their power and might. Tapestries became a symbol of splendour and luxury, testifying to the wealth, power and grandeur of their owners.
The Woven Splendour project is a continuation of the Triumph of Hope project (2019) and is a joint effort of researchers and specialists from laboratories, museums, universities and restoration centred in Moscow, Novosibirsk and St Petersburg, as well as England, Germany, France and Switzerland. The project presents the results of the research and restoration of four 16th-17th century Flemish tapestries from the collection of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. The iconography of the subjects and scenes depicted on the tapestries is described in detail. The most common themes here are shown on examples of various types of art. Besides that, we reveal the iconographical and artistic meaning of the birds and plants depicted on tapestries.