Angers: the Tapestry of the Apocalypse
(vero;2022-Nov-21)
The Tapestry of the Apocalypse is a depiction of the Apocalypse as revealed in the Book of Revelation by John of Patmos. It was commissioned between 1373 and 1377 by Louis I, Duke of Anjou and made in Paris in the workshops of Robert Poinçon, according to the cartoons of Hennequin de Bruges (also known as Jean Bondol), the official painter of the French King Charles V. The tapestry was used for solemn and prestigious occasions and was eventually bequeathed to the cathedral of Angers in the 15th century by King René of Anjou. After a long period of neglect and damage it was partially reconstructed in the mid-19th century, then preserved and exhibited in the Museum of the Tapestry of the Apocalypse located on the site of the Château d'Angers in a very long gallery built for this purpose and inaugurated in 1954. The entrance fee was 9.50 € in 2022 and is definitely worth it, the ticket gives also access to the castle itself. Click here for some practical information.
Before it was dismantled, the tapestry was approximately 140 metres long and around 4.5 metres high covering a total area of 850 m2. It is made up of six hangings, each consisting of a large introductory character (the reader) and fourteen scenes arranged in two registers: seven up, seven down. John is present in each scene, writing down what he is witnessing in the Book of Revelation. Today only 104 metres and 67 scenes have been recovered and are currently on display, the sixth hanging being the most incomplete.
Wool has been used for the warp and weft, brighlty coloured with vegetable dyes such as weld for the yellows, madder for the reds and pastel for the blues. The crazy thing about this tapestry is the fact that it is reversible: the reverse side is identical to the front side. What we see in the exhibition is the front side, but if we were allowed to look at the reverse side, we would see the tapestry with full and bright colours preserved as it would have looked in the 14th century. Incredible, click here for a taste of it and compare with the subdued colours of our gallery below: quite a difference!
And now: Explore the Tapestry . Or browse through our second gallery to marvel at the Quality and precision of the weavers' work.
Explore the Tapestry
Quality and precision of the weavers' work
This second gallery demonstrates the workmanship of the weavers and the profusion of details found in the tapestry.
Go back to Amiens: Musée de Picardie or go on to Bordeaux: Musée d'Aquitaine or go up to Museums
$ updated from: Museums.htxt Fri 16 Aug 2024 15:40:17 trvl2 — Copyright © 2024 Vero and Thomas Lauer unless otherwise stated | All rights reserved $