THE GOTHIC TAPESTRIES--SACRED PIECES
It is a notable fact that the earlier Gothic tapestries--those of the
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and earlier--nearly all deal with
religious subjects. From this we are apt to acquire an exaggerated idea
of the part played by religion in mediæval life. The true explanation is
that in the cockpit of Europe during these fierce and warlike times art
in any form found itself unable to exist. Only in the monasteries could
it find refuge, and these became the centres, not only of the fine arts,
but also of textile arts like tapestry-weaving. The effects of this
monopoly were unfortunate. The imagination of the designers of cartoons
was stunted. They came to believe that the duty of tapestry was not to
delight the eye, but to preach trite little sermons. Hence the endless
series of pictures extolling the practice of vices. The chief beauty of
the earlier Gothic tapestries lay in the brilliance and richness of the
dyes. But as the times became less barbarous, and art began to flourish
outside the monastery and the cathedral close, the Gothic tapestries
gained a new vigour and beauty. The religious inspiration remained,
giving, indeed, an atmosphere of chastened restraint that to many people
denotes the high-water mark of the art. But the incursions of the outer
world could no longer be restrained, and we get the delightful posies of
spring flowers, the bluebells, daisies, lilies, and primroses--the
_millefleurs_--all utterly irrelevant and charming, that intrude into
fierce battle scenes and into the mystic visions of the Apocalypse.
All the Gothic tapestries in the Spanish royal collection are of Flemish
workmanship.
GROUP 1, including _The Birth of Christ_ and _The Mass of St. Gregory
the Great_
_The Birth of Christ_ is probably one of the oldest pieces of the whole
collection. It is mentioned for the first time as forming part of the
collection left by Juana the Mad, who died at Tordesillas in 1555.
Neither the designer nor the weaver can be identified. “The Gothic
architecture of the buildings in the background,” says the Count
Valencia de Don Juan, “the attitude of the persons, the singularity and
richness of their costumes, and, above all, the drawing, recalls the
tapestries which were made at Arras in the fifteenth century.”
The tapestry represents the birth of Christ in fulfilment of the
prophecies of the Prophets Isaiah and Micah, and of Aaron the High
Priest of the Israelites. The scroll to the left by the figure of Micah
bears the legend (translated into English), “And thou, Bethlehem
Ephrata, art small among the cities of Judah, nevertheless out of thee
shall come forth He that is to be the Ruler in Israel” (Micah v. 2).
That to the right bears the (translated) inscription, “For a child is
born to us, and a Son is given to us, and the Government is upon His
shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God ...”
etc. (Isaiah ix. 6).
This tapestry is made of silk and wool interwoven with gold threads. It
was probably used as an altar piece. Two pieces of red and gold brocade,
of much later workmanship, have been added.
_The Mass of St. Gregory the Great._ Neither the designer of the cartoon
nor the town where this tapestry was woven is known. It is of Flemish
origin, and the Gothic arches, each enclosing a scene in the life of
Christ, point to Bruges as its place of origin. It is mentioned by
Ferdinand V of Aragon in the Act of Discharge of Juan Valazquez (1555)
as a gift from the Princess Juana to her mother, Queen Isabel the
Catholic.
The tapestry shows the celebration of Mass by St. Gregory the Great in
the presence of King David and St. Augustine. The scroll to the left
bears the (translated) inscription, “Man shall eat the bread of angels.”
That on the right reads, “The sacrament is the outward visible form of
the invisible Grace.”
This tapestry is woven in silks and wool enriched by threads of gold and
silver.
GROUP 2. _The Story of the Holy Virgin_
_1st Series._ Consists of four pieces which once bore in the corner as a
heraldic mark a small lion embroidered in gold on a black ground.
Cartoons said to be by Van Eyck. Of Flemish origin, probably belonging
to the Bruges atelier.
These tapestries belonged to Philip the Handsome and Juana the Mad.
Transferred by Charles V to the monastery of Yuste, and again removed by
Philip II to the monastery of the Escorial, they were in constant use
for the religious ceremonies attended by the Royal Household owing to
their unusual beauty.
The first piece represents God commanding the Archangel Gabriel to
announce her destiny to the Virgin Mary.
The second piece represents the Annunciation.
The third piece represents the Birth of Christ.
The fourth piece represents the Coronation of the Holy Virgin.
_2nd Series._ In spite of the similarity of the borders the two
tapestries here treated do not form a continuous series with those
previously described. They probably came from workrooms of Brussels.
Designer and weaver unknown, but resemblance has been noted between the
figures of Adam and Eve and similar figures on a triptych designed by
the brothers Van Eyck.
The subjects of these two tapestries are obscure. They appear, however,
to refer--
First, to the fulfilment of the prophecies as to the birth of the Son of
God;
Secondly, to the presentation of Jesus in the Temple.
All these tapestries are of extraordinary beauty. They are woven of silk
and wool enriched with gold and silver threads.
GROUP 3. _The Story of David and Bathsheba_ (10 Tapestries)
Three of these tapestries are mentioned in the _Inventaire des Rois
Catholiques_ under the heading “Bed,” having evidently formed part of
the draperies of a bed belonging to some royal personage. These are of
Flemish origin and date from the end of the fifteenth century. They are
woven in silk, wool, and gold thread.
To these were later added seven bed canopies of Gothic design. The
subjects of the tapestries are as follows:
(1) David surprises Bathsheba in her bath and falls in love with her
beauty. For the sake of modesty, however, the artist has represented
Bathsheba fully clothed, washing her hands at a small fountain.
(2) The Marriage of David and Bathsheba. David, from being a
smooth-faced boy, has become a bearded man.
(3) The prophet Nathan reproaches David with his evil ways.
The remaining seven tapestries apparently represent some sylvan festival
in which courtiers make offerings of fruit and flowers to ladies. The
playing-cards are worth noticing.