Name/Title
Woven gold : tapestries of Louis XIVEntry/Object ID
NK3049.W68Description
Meticulously woven by hand with wool, silk, and gilt-metal thread, the tapestry collection of the Sun King,Louis XIV of France, represents the highest achievements of the art form. Intended to enhance the kings reputation by visualizing his manifest glory and to promote the kingdoms nascent mercantile economy,the royal collection of tapestries included antique and contemporary sets that followed the designs of the greatest artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods, including Raphael, Giulio Romano, Rubens, Vouet,and Le Brun. Ranging in date from about 1540 to 1715 and coming from weaving workshops across northern Europe, these remarkable works portray scenes from the bible, history, and mythology. As treasured textiles, the works were traditionally displayed in the royal palaces when the court was in residence and in public on special occasions and feast days. They are still little known, even in France, as they are mostly reserved for the decoration of elite state residences and ministerial offices. This publication is issued on the occasion of an exhibition of fourteen examples from the tapestry collection of Louis XIV, held at the Getty Center from December 15, 2015, to May 1, 2016.Lexicon
Search Terms
exhibition catalogs, tapestry--france, tapestry--historyLegacy Lexicon
Category
Exhibition catalogBook Details
Author
Charissa Bremer-David, Pascal-François Bertrand, Arnauld Brejon de Lavergnée, Jean VittetPublisher
J. Paul Getty MuseumDate Published
2015Call No.
NK3049.W68ISBN
1606064614, 9781606064610LCCN
2015020572Notes
Length: 156General Notes
Note
Gift of the J. Paul Getty Museum, February 2019.