How Wall Tapestries Have Been Brightening Interiors for Centuries (2024)

How Wall Tapestries Have Been Brightening Interiors for Centuries (1)

This post is sponsored by Fine Art America. Our partners are handpicked by My Modern Met’s team because they represent the best in design and innovation.

If you’re looking for a way to add some warmth and texture to any room in your home, you may want to consider hanging a tapestry from your walls. For centuries, this textile art has been used to enhance interiors and now, Fine Art America makes it easier than ever for you to place a wall hanging in your home.

As the world’s largest online art marketplace, Fine Art America works with thousands of artists, photographers, and graphic designers. This means that no matter what your style, you’ll easily be able to find the right tapestry to suit your needs. Their lightweight, microfiber tapestries will give you a piece of museum-quality artwork that is ready to hang.

In recent years, wall hangings have seen a resurgence. What was once seen as simple decor for dorm rooms or only for those with bohemian style is now rightly being valued for its artistic quality. More than ever, people are using textiles as a way to soften their interiors and bring some movement into their homes.

Modern wall hangings make the perfect accent, whether you place them over your bed, above your couch, or along a curved wall where traditional paintings are difficult to hang. As they are lightweight, you don’t need to worry about having to place anchors into the wall. In fact, there’s so much flexibility in how to hang a tapestry that they work even if you are renting and don’t want to put holes in the walls. Velcro adhesive, nails, and pushpins are all options for mounting the flowy fabric. But if you want to make an elegant statement, you could drape it over a rod, use a poster hanger, or even frame it.

So where does the tradition of wall tapestries come from? We’ll have to go back to the Middle Ages to find our answer.

History of Wall Tapestries

While tapestries have been found dating back to ancient Greece, it was really during the 14th century CE that they found their footing. Popular throughout Europe, the textile pieces were handwoven on a loom. Though cotton, linen, and wool were popular materials, it wasn’t unusual to find silver, gold, and silk woven into the more opulent tapestries. These grand statement pieces were often hung above thrones and their portability made it possible for kings and noblemen to roll them up and bring them to their different residences.

Though Germany and Switzerland were home to early workshops, the medium really hit its stride in 16th-century Flanders. There, workshops full of skilled artists thrived and often collaborated with the best artists of the day to design and produce massive tapestries. One fine example of this is the tapestries designed by Raphael that still hang in the Vatican Museums in Rome, Italy.

Later, in the 19th century, William Morris revived the art of tapestry making by creating stylish wall hangings based on designs by the Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones.

After World War II, there was a shift in which artists took the reins as weavers and began producing their own designs. Tapestry exhibitions began to appear throughout Europe and the United States to give value to their work. Art programs began teaching fiber art and by the 1980s, it was a popular component of art school.

This continued enthusiasm for tapestries just proves the lasting legacy that these pieces of art possess.

Modern Wall Hangings

Now that we’ve learned about how wall tapestries can be used in the home and their history, it’s time to find the perfect art piece for your interior. With nearly five million tapestries available, Fine Art America’s selection can seem daunting, but they’ve made it easy. You can filter by collection, subject, shape, and color to quickly narrow down your choices and find the perfect tapestry.

To get you started and give you a little inspiration, here are some of our favorite highlights from Fine Art America’s tapestry selection.

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All images via Fine Art America.

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How Wall Tapestries Have Been Brightening Interiors for Centuries (2024)

FAQs

Why were tapestries used in interiors during this time period? ›

Homes in the Middle Ages had no central heat and were very drafty. For people who could afford tapestries, they were hung to minimize drafts.

What was the main purpose of the tapestries? ›

Tapestries were ubiquitous in the castles and churches of the late medieval and Renaissance eras. At a practical level, they provided a form of insulation and decoration that could be easily transported.

What is the importance of tapestry? ›

Tapestry is one of the oldest forms of woven textile. As a technique, tapestry has been used to create everything from tunics and purses to table covers and chair backs, as well as some of the world's largest and most beautiful pieces of textile art.

What is the history of tapestry wall hanging? ›

Tapestries became status symbols amongst the aristocracy in the Middle Ages. They also had much practical use, providing insulation for castle walls, covering openings and giving privacy around beds. Kings and nobles took them on their travels from castle to castle for reasons of comfort and prestige.

What is the reason tapestries were popular in medieval times? ›

Castles and large stone churches were drafty places that are hard to keep warm during the winter. In those days, insulation was unheard of, therefore tapestries were placed in buildings to keep them warm. The importance of tapestries was that they were easy to transport from one location to another for display.

What is a tapestry in interior design? ›

tapestry, woven decorative fabric, the design of which is built up in the course of weaving. Broadly, the name has been used for almost any heavy material, handwoven, machine woven, or even embroidered, used to cover furniture, walls, or floors or for the decoration of clothing.

Why are tapestries from the early Renaissance so rare? ›

Requiring huge amounts of time, skilled labor and luxury materials to produce, tapestries were the ultimate prestige art form in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance.

Which were the practical benefits of tapestry as an art form? ›

Question: What is an advantage to tapestries as an artform? Group of answer choices they are more durable than sculpture they are easier to transport and trade than manuscripts it is easier to show detail on a tapestry than in a painting they can insulate a room.

What is an advantage to tapestries as an artform? ›

The size and versatility of tapestries help them with a unique advantage over other traditional art. Tapestries can produce a majestic appearance and serve as the centre of attention in any space, as they have the capacity to cover large wall areas.

What 3 core values does tapestry reflect? ›

Contributing to a world that is inclusive, sustainable and safe is a responsibility that falls upon us all. At Tapestry, we believe that we can do this better, together. When we created Tapestry, we built our company upon values of Optimism, Innovation and Inclusivity.

What are tapestry core values? ›

  • OUR VALUES. Dedicated to the Dream. ...
  • Hold to High Standards. In our people, our processes, and our products, we are committed where it counts. ...
  • Embrace Difference by Design. ...
  • Break Through with Magic and Logic. ...
  • Stand Taller Together.

What does tapestry mean in world history? ›

The word tapestry is now widely used to describe a range of textiles, including needlepoint and certain mechanically woven, ribbed fabrics, but historically and technically it designates a figurative weft-faced textile woven by hand on a loom.

What type of historical evidence is the tapestry? ›

The Bayeux Tapestry provides an excellent example of Anglo-Norman art. It serves as a medieval artifact that operates as art, chronicle, political propaganda, and visual evidence of eleventh-century mundane objects, all at a monumental scale.

How the use of interior spaces influenced the decoration of them during the Victorian era? ›

This led to the characteristic “busy” look of Victorian design. For the first time in their lives, people were able to get all the beautiful objects they wanted, so they stuffed their homes with furniture, hung art on every wall, and loaded down every shelf, sideboard, and table with decorative items.

Who made the tapestry and why? ›

Origins. The earliest known written reference to the tapestry is a 1476 inventory of Bayeux Cathedral, but its origins have been the subject of much speculation and controversy. French legend maintained the tapestry was commissioned and created by Queen Matilda, William the Conqueror's wife, and her ladies-in-waiting.

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