The first tapestries, created from woven textiles, were made in the Middle Ages. The most common definition of a tapestry describes it as a thick fabric into which colored threads are integrated in order to form intricate designs. The specific labor involved in making a tapestry distinguishes it quite a bit from any type of embroidery.
Back in the middle ages tapestries were used to cover windows and doors for insulation, as well as decoration. They were also used as canopies above beds to keep anything from the roof from dropping into the bed. Sometimes the canopy was large enough to not only cover the top of the bed, but the sides too, providing privacy.
The rich and wealthy with mansions and palaces used the tapestry as a partition to divide a large hall into smaller quarters. It was also used as one medium to portray religious and Bible stories and other tales of war victories. Kings and other noble men used to carry tapestries with them when they traveled, as a display of their wealth. The intricate and detailed designs woven in the tapestries made them an excellent work-of-art in high demand.
There was an extensive amount of work that had to be put into making a tapestry. To begin with, an artist would have to paint the original design, which was called a cartoon. The next step would involve gathering the proper plants needed to dye threads in the colors needed. Once the threads were dry, the tapestry was woven together by a team of weavers, a project that often took years to complete depending on the size of the finished product. Some were an incredible 20 foot by 80 foot. The art of weaving was a craft handed down from generation to generation.
Fighting, hunting and landscapes scenes were most common among the designs. Some kings used to take artists along with them in wars and on hunts to make sketches that could be later used for the design in the tapestries. As the designs became more detail oriented and complex the desired amount of colors to be dyed for the threads rose to 300 different colors. This is when the tapestries began to look like paintings with frames.
Up until 1337, the best made tapestries came from France. While the Hundred Years War was waging, however, many Parisian weavers have to flee for their lives, and a great deal of tapestries were lost or destroyed. When the war finally ended in 1453, the tapestry business began booming again, and it continued unabated until 1789, the year of the French Revolution. Once again, war would lead to the destruction of many tapestries, this time for the gold and silver threads that could be found in them.
In 1801, however, everything changed. Joseph Jacquard, a weaver of silk, invented the Jacquard loom, which made use of punch cards in order to improve the functionality of the textile loom. The cards made the weaving process somewhat automated, and even unskilled weavers were able to produce some of the most exquisite patterns ever seen. Some skill was needed in order to run the loom efficiently, but there was no longer a need for months and months of tedious hand work to be done. Along with this semi-automation came the ability to offer less expensive tapestries to an ever widening market.
Our museums from around the world house these famous works-of-art of the hand-woven tapestry wall hangings. It is believed the Medieval tapestries are the largest group on display, today. The price for a hand-woven tapestry wall hanging is immense. There is still much work involved in making these fine woven goods with the Jacquard loom, however the time involved is not nearly what it once was and therefore making them quite affordable.
For inventing such a labor saving device, Joseph Jacquard should be applauded. His invention let weavers continue to make beautiful tapestries, but at a price that could be afforded by a greater portion of the population. These lower prices are letting the average person be able to display these fine works in their homes and enjoy something once reserved for only the rich. - 15359
Back in the middle ages tapestries were used to cover windows and doors for insulation, as well as decoration. They were also used as canopies above beds to keep anything from the roof from dropping into the bed. Sometimes the canopy was large enough to not only cover the top of the bed, but the sides too, providing privacy.
The rich and wealthy with mansions and palaces used the tapestry as a partition to divide a large hall into smaller quarters. It was also used as one medium to portray religious and Bible stories and other tales of war victories. Kings and other noble men used to carry tapestries with them when they traveled, as a display of their wealth. The intricate and detailed designs woven in the tapestries made them an excellent work-of-art in high demand.
There was an extensive amount of work that had to be put into making a tapestry. To begin with, an artist would have to paint the original design, which was called a cartoon. The next step would involve gathering the proper plants needed to dye threads in the colors needed. Once the threads were dry, the tapestry was woven together by a team of weavers, a project that often took years to complete depending on the size of the finished product. Some were an incredible 20 foot by 80 foot. The art of weaving was a craft handed down from generation to generation.
Fighting, hunting and landscapes scenes were most common among the designs. Some kings used to take artists along with them in wars and on hunts to make sketches that could be later used for the design in the tapestries. As the designs became more detail oriented and complex the desired amount of colors to be dyed for the threads rose to 300 different colors. This is when the tapestries began to look like paintings with frames.
Up until 1337, the best made tapestries came from France. While the Hundred Years War was waging, however, many Parisian weavers have to flee for their lives, and a great deal of tapestries were lost or destroyed. When the war finally ended in 1453, the tapestry business began booming again, and it continued unabated until 1789, the year of the French Revolution. Once again, war would lead to the destruction of many tapestries, this time for the gold and silver threads that could be found in them.
In 1801, however, everything changed. Joseph Jacquard, a weaver of silk, invented the Jacquard loom, which made use of punch cards in order to improve the functionality of the textile loom. The cards made the weaving process somewhat automated, and even unskilled weavers were able to produce some of the most exquisite patterns ever seen. Some skill was needed in order to run the loom efficiently, but there was no longer a need for months and months of tedious hand work to be done. Along with this semi-automation came the ability to offer less expensive tapestries to an ever widening market.
Our museums from around the world house these famous works-of-art of the hand-woven tapestry wall hangings. It is believed the Medieval tapestries are the largest group on display, today. The price for a hand-woven tapestry wall hanging is immense. There is still much work involved in making these fine woven goods with the Jacquard loom, however the time involved is not nearly what it once was and therefore making them quite affordable.
For inventing such a labor saving device, Joseph Jacquard should be applauded. His invention let weavers continue to make beautiful tapestries, but at a price that could be afforded by a greater portion of the population. These lower prices are letting the average person be able to display these fine works in their homes and enjoy something once reserved for only the rich. - 15359
About the Author:
A Jacquard Woven Tapestry was an instant hit, as this punch card loom made fast work for the weavers in the European wall Tapestries, as well as far more affordable.
