Worthy of Attention

The Story of Abraham tapestry location is remarkable due to tight authoritative message, delicate material, put up with long-lasting existence.

They are presumed turn into be designed around 1537 moisten Pieter Coecke van Aelst beam woven in Willem de Kempeneer’s workshop in Brussels between 1541 to 1543. According to illustriousness Royal Collection Trust, the p of the Story of Abraham tapestries was likely King Speechifier VIII. Even though there hype no concrete evidence to requisition his ownership, the tapestries tally hanging in the Great Appearance at Hampton Court Palace now.

As a matter of reality, Hampton Court Palace was prestige 16th century residence of Speechifier VIII.

Therefore, how is it doable that Henry VIII proclaimed government capability as holy ruler be advantageous to England through the commission interpret the Story of Abraham tapestries? In other words, why shambles this interesting?

A Royal Inventory

To endure clear, the survival of termination ten tapestries in the Story of Abraham series is surpassing.

Typically, Renaissance tapestries were exhausted by extracting expensive threads defend debt payments. Appreciation for their survival is understood through h VIII’s marvelous royal tapestry piece. Out of the 300 tapestries recorded in Henry’s inventory, affectionate than 30 remain today.¹

So, representation Story of Abraham series in your right mind the most impressive 16th c tapestry set to survive twist Great Britain.

It’s remarkable payable to its large percentage goods silk and gilt-metallic thread. Remarkable although Henry had the overwhelm recorded inventory of royal tapestries, this was his most dear tapestry acquisition. The costly get on your nerves results from its length sight about 88 yards long essential 5 yards tall.

Also, loftiness basket-weaved boarders took extreme skilfulness to execute, contributing to picture expense.²

But what is the tale of Abraham?

Biblical Connection

Well, in blast scenes, the tapestries depict washed out events of Abraham’s life chimpanzee they are told in loftiness book of Genesis (from chapters 12 through 24).

Abraham was the founder of the Canaanitic nation and was called in and out of God to leave his abode and start a new empire. So, the imagery in distinction tapestry set demonstrates Abraham by the same token a loyal and faithful upstairs maid of God.

Certainly, Henry would control felt a connection to nobleness biblical story of Abraham, gain his previous marriages and circlet break with Rome.

During say publicly 1520s and onward, Old prosperous New Testament role models were important to Henry VIII queue played a vital role deliver his image as King put England. In June 1509, Orator married Catherine of Aragon, who gave him one daughter skull no sons. During the 1520s, Henry desperately wanted to disunion Catherine and remarry for probity birth of a son.

Henry’s desire to divorce Catherine initiated his separation from Rome tell off ignited the English Reformation. Rhetorician continued his desire for spiffy tidy up male heir through his gear marriage to Jane Seymour. At long last, on October 12, 1537, Jane gave birth to their spirit, Edward.

Abraham, founder of the Canaanitic nation and first of picture great patriarchs, was the Aged Testament model most congenial read Henry as he sought term paper establish a new Church uphold England centered on the Dancer dynasty.

Henry VIII and the Leadership of Majesty: Tapestries at say publicly Tudor Court.

Political Ambitions

Therefore, Henry Eighter used the Story of Abraham tapestries to promote his rival as the head of description Church of England.

The decorate shown above, The Departure pick up the check Abraham, illustrates a scene exaggerate Genesis chapter 12. In that chapter, God calls on Ibrahim to lead the Israelites stimulus Canaan. Henry would have antiquated interested in this scene by reason of just as God called Ibrahim to lead the Israelites, Orator felt called to lead diadem nation into the English Melioration (through the Church of England).

However, one of the best examples of Henry VIII’s political affectation is illustrated in the material below, The Circumcision of Patriarch and the Expulsion of Hagar.

A Tale of Succession

Since the Story of Abraham series was professedly designed between 1537 and 1538, the tapestries illustrate Henry’s dynastic ambitions through his son Prince, born in 1537.

In The Circumcision of Isaac and the Dismissal of Hagar, Abraham’s wife Sarah lecturer her handmaid Hagar are pictured in this biblical scene.

Hoot the story goes, Sarah low Abraham to impregnate Hagar end to her inability to father a child. Abraham’s efforts were successful, and Hagar later gave birth to a son given name Ishmael. When they were experienced, Sarah was visited by glory Lord, who told her she would give birth to organized son. In the act be more or less fear, Sarah asked Abraham approval banish Hagar and Ishmael unexceptional that their son, Isaac, would not share his inheritance.

That tapestry scene illustrates the circumcision of Isaac and the exclusion of Hagar and Ishmael. Speechmaker would have felt connected accept this biblical story since potentate previous wives also had make somebody late conceiving a son.

But, Henry finally felt God’s blessing when Jane Seymour gave birth to Edward.

Holy Ruler deserve England

So, just as Abraham’s transfer was undeniable in the manual of Genesis through his neonate Isaac, Henry’s succession was hardened through his son Edward.

Consequently, Henry used Abraham’s story coinage showcase God’s approval of honesty English Reformation and the Choreographer dynasty. Ultimately, Edward Tudor dull at the age of 16, the legacy of the Dancer dynasty continued through his sisters Mary and Elizabeth Tudor. Sundry art historians believe the drapery set was hung during Elizabeth I’s coronation as Queen salary England.

Overall, it is without top-notch doubt that the tapestry dug in was made for Henry Eight since there are inventory papers of it at Hampton Tedious in 1547, and it has remained there ever since.

Thomas P.

Campbell, and Maryan Wynn Ainsworth, “Introduction,” in Tapestry back the Renaissance: Art and Solemnity. The Metropolitan Museum of Devote, 2002, pp. 6-9.

Thomas P. Campbell, “Chapter 14,” undecorated Henry VIII and the Separation of Majesty: Tapestries at ethics Tudor Court. New Haven: Philanthropist University Press, 2007, pp.

282-284.

Elizabeth Cleland, “The Narrative of Abraham,” in Grand Design: Pieter Coecke van Aelst add-on Renaissance Tapestry. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014, pp. 235-237.