The Art of Tapestry

Extensively illustrated, this is the first accessible publication on the history of tapestry in over two decades.

More than 600 tapestries hang in National Trust properties around England and Wales. Dating from around 1400 onwards, their rich, colourful designs and grand scale convey deep cultural, political, religious and symbolic messages. When new, they represented the epitome of luxury and status, woven by highly skilled teams of craftspeople using vibrant and expensive threads.

This beautifully illustrated study by tapestry expert Helen Wyld, in association with the National Trust, explores what these tapestries can tell us about the British aristocracy’s projection of wealth and power, and their place in wider Western European art traditions. Examples drawn from such properties as Blicking Hall, Cotehele, Hardwick Hall, Knole House and Osterley Park deploy various techniques and subjects, depicting a panoply of mythical heroes, historical events, hunting scenes, exotic animals and vibrant verdures.

Both the tapestry specialist and the keen art-history enthusiast can find a wealth of information here about the production of woven wall hangings and upholstery, including methods of purchase and distribution, evolving technologies, colour and shading techniques, the changing trends of subject matter across time, and how tapestries have been collected and displayed in British country houses across the centuries.