Renaissance Styles

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the role of the artist in tapestry design became paramount. The tapestries were woven to look like paintings and became to compete with them in their subtlety and combinations of colour and their extraordinarily fine detail. As in medieval times, Renaissance tapestries depicted biblical stories, classical tales and histories of emperors and kings. The most famous Renaissance tapestries were woven at Gobelins, Beauvais and Aubusson Workshops. Aubusson continued to thrive throughout the 18th & 19th Centuries and became well known for 'Le Rustique' and the 'Pastoral' style of tapestry. This was characterized by the ever-popular verdures and romantic landscapes, with some biblical and mythological subjects.