The Tapestry Book

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

26151

Title

The Tapestry Book

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Helen Churchill Candee's *The Tapestry Book* serves as an essential guide for collectors and enthusiasts, exploring the history, identification, and appreciation of woven art from antiquity to the modern era. With ninety-nine illustrations, this volume offers a comprehensive overview of tapestry styles, famous collections, and the craftsmanship behind these luxurious textiles, catering to both the serious collector and the casual admirer.

Summary up to 500 words

Helen Churchill Candee's *The Tapestry Book* offers a comprehensive historical and technical exploration of tapestry weaving, tracing the art from its ancient Eastern roots through monastic Europe to its golden ages in France, Flanders, and Italy. Candee establishes tapestry not merely as decoration but as a necessity for elegant homes, noting a significant surge in American appreciation and value. She distinctly defines tapestry as a pictured cloth where the design is integral to the fabric, separating it from embroidery. The narrative chronicles the evolution of the craft, detailing the shift from high-warp to low-warp loom techniques and the use of luxurious materials like wool, silk, gold, and silver. Candee guides readers through major historical eras: the religious dominance of the Middle Ages, where monasteries preserved the art; the Gothic period's rich storytelling; the Renaissance's classical revival; and the opulent styles of the French courts under Louis XIV and XV. She highlights renowned factories such as Gobelins, Beauvais, Aubusson, and Mortlake, alongside the Savonnerie carpets. Significant attention is given to specific masterpieces, including the *Lady and the Unicorn*, the *Sacraments*, and the *Vertumnus and Pomona* series, often citing cartoons by artists like Rubens and weavers like W. de Pannemaker. A crucial portion of the book is dedicated to practical identification, teaching readers how to recognize authentic tapestries by their marks, borders, and weave structures to protect against fraud. Candee lists extensive collections in museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Louvre. Ultimately, the book argues that true understanding of tapestry requires more than financial investment; it demands a loving comprehension of the art's history and craft. By connecting modern readers to centuries of human creativity, Candee transforms the study of tapestries into a journey through the history of humanity itself, uniting the viewer with the craftsmen of the past who wove pictures of gods, kings, and daily life into enduring fabric.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26151.epub.noimages

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data/epubs/pg26151.epub

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Categories

• Tapestry