Catalogue of the Retrospective Loan Exhibition of European TapestriesSan Francisco Museum of Art
History
Catalogue of the Retrospective Loan Exhibition of European Tapestries
San Francisco Museum of Art
Tapestry -- Exhibitions
It was not until tapestry plunged full into the tide of the Italian
Renaissance that it entirely lost its Gothic merits. But when, beginning
in 1515 with the arrival of Raphael's cartoons for the Pope's _Apostle_
series, the weavers of the North began to depend more and more for their
designs on the painters of the South and on painters trained in the
South, the character of tapestry completely changed. True, tapestry in
the old style was still made for two decades, but in diminishing numbers.
The Renaissance had the field. In place of endlessly varied detail, the
designers sought for instantly impressive effects, and these are of
necessity obvious. Every-thing grew larger, coarser, more insistent
on attention. Figures were monumental, floreation bold and strong,
architecture massive. Even the verdures developed a new manner; great
scrolling acanthus-leaves and exotic birds (cf. No. 33) took the place of
the delicate field flowers and pigeons and songsters. Drama took the place
of narrative. On many pieces metal thread was lavished in abundance. The
whole flagrant richness of the newly modern world was called into play.
For the first time also with Renaissance tapestry, it becomes relevant to
ask, Do they look like the scenes they depict?--for realism was in the
full tide of its power. A hundred and fifty years before the Renaissance
realism had begun to develop, inspired by the naturalism of Aristotle,
whose influence had gradually filtered down from the schools to the
people, and throughout the XIVth and early XVth century it had been slowly
growing. The hunting tapestries of the first part of the XVth century are
early examples of it. But the Gothic realism was an attempt to convey
the impression of the familiar incidents of life, to get expressive
gestures, to record characteristic bits of portraiture, whether of
people or things or episodes, so that a Gothic tapestry can be adjudged
naturalistically successful if it carries strongly the spirit and effect
of a situation regardless of whether the drawing is quite true or not (cf.
No. 2). Renaissance realism, on the other hand, is not satisfied with the
impression, but strives for the fact. It wishes to depict not only the
world as one sees it, but as one knows it to be--knows it, moreover, after
long and careful study. So in all Renaissance graphic art correct anatomy
becomes of importance, solid modeling is essential, and all details must
be specific.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account