Our tribute to men who stitch begins
with a Historical Perspective on the influence of
From the Renaissance to the Industrial
Revolution
by Rita Vainius
 ll over
the world, museums thrill their visitors with exhibits of Medieval and
Renaissance tapestries and royal and religious garments that are decorated
with sumptuous embroidery. But in the 20th century, weaving, stitchery
and embroidery are known to most of us as housewifely skills. History teaches
us otherwise. The practice of these arts in some cultures, and during specific
periods of time in others, was often primarily the domain of men. In Europe,
during the Middle Ages, most people lived in the castles of the feudal
lords. Gradually, small settlements sprang up under their protection, and
these eventually became towns. During this transitionary period the weaving
of cloth and other related crafts, began to move out of the confines of
the home and Guilds were established. By the 12th century, the Weavers
Guild, the oldest in England, had been organized. In France, the Company
of Embroiderers was formed as a Guild in 1272. Throughout the remaining
Middle Ages, and on through the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the needle
and fiber arts were chiefly practiced and controlled by men.
"In the towns, men engaged in
the same craft lived side by side, and streets came to be named by the
prevailing craft practiced there, such as Threadneedle Street, which still
exists in London. Artisans came to be known by the name of their trade,
thus the origins of last names such as Weaver, Tailor, Dyer etc."
 uilds
helped the artisan to be competitive and the strict standards protected
the consumer by assuring high quality at a fair price. They enacted firm
laws governing their specific trades. A rule of the Weavers Guild in England
stated one could not employ one's wife or underage children. A statute
of the Guild of Embroiderers in Paris provided that only men could become
Master Embroiderers. The Guilds also instituted a system of apprenticeship.
If a boy wanted to learn a trade such as embroidery, his parents would
contract with a Master Embroiderer and the boy would become his apprentice,
learning the secrets of the trade. When the apprenticeship was over he
was allowed to become a journeyman. He could now travel from town to town,
looking for work and learning new skills. But no journeyman could become
a Master until tested by the Guild. To do this, the Wardens of the Guild
would set him a piece of work to do. This was called his "masterpiece",
and he had to carry it out by himself, in the presence of the judges. If
his work passed their inspection, the new member became a full fledged
Master Embroiderer and could set up his own shop.
"The apex of the textile arts
in Europe is acknowledged to be the magnificent tapestries that were created
by the Master Weavers of the time."
 he most
famous tapestry, perhaps the most famous textile of all time, is a work
of embroidery called the Bayeaeux Tapestry executed on linen with wool
stitching and measuring 231 feet in length. Tapestry reached its pinnacle
in the 14th Century, when for the first time, it was possible to ascribe
certain textiles to the hand of a known artisan. Three French Master Weavers
dominated the field: Jacques Dourdin, Pierre de Beaumetz and Nicholas Bataille.
Bataille's masterpiece, "The Apocalypse", was inspired by an
illuminated manuscript. Another entitled "The Nine Heroes" depicts
men of valor from the Hebrew, Christian and Pagan traditions. Philip the
Bold commissioned some, more modest, items like tapestry mule blankets
and a garment for his favorite leopard.
 rom
the 12th to the 14th Centuries, Embroidery was used extensively, and almost
exclusively, for religious purposes. The most beautiful church vestments,
were embroidered with a special couching stitch, which completely covered
the fabric. The Flemish tapestry workshops flourished under the direction
of Master Weaver, Jacques Dourdin, and were supported by the patronage
of the French Court. Most of the tapestries of the period, depict the prevailing
popular themes of battle scenes, religious and heroic subjects, and legends
of love. The rebirth of the arts and sciences that engulfed Europe after
the Middle Ages is known as the Renaissance. This was the Golden Age of
Tapestry. In both quality and quantity, the products of the Renaissance
looms, rival those of any other age. "The Story of Alexander the Great"
by Pasquier Grenier, a Master Weaver of Tournai, was rendered in silk,
wool and actual gilded threads and measured 13 feet by 32 feet. It was
commissioned by Philip the Good for 5000 gold pieces. This one, like the
best tapestries of the time, attained a monumentality of scale, concept
and execution, and the stories portrayed were epic in nature.
 uring
the 15th Century, Brussels became the tapestry capital. The extravagant
use of gold thread in these works, inspired the name Tapis D'Or (cloth
of gold). The most prominent weaver, Pieter Van Aelst, was responsible
for creating "The Acts of the Apostles" which was commissioned
for the Sistine Chapel. And in the 1500's Queen Elizabeth made the weaving
industry the basis of England's trade. William Sheldon designed a series
of county maps which were a charming mixture of geographical representation
and decorative design. Mary, Queen of Scots, employed 2 Master Embroiderers
for the Crown: Pierre Oudray and Charles Howart. The first embroidery book
published in England was "A Schole House for the Needle" by Richard
Schorleyker in 1624. It illustrated most of the usual motifs of the time,
and also some lace and cut work. Embroiderers were also influenced by the
designs from a manuscript by Thomas Trevellyan. These may be seen in many
variations of Elizabethan Age embroidery.
 eanwhile,
Venice and Florence specialized in the creation of rich cut velvets and
several Italian painters, including Pisanello and Jacopo Bellini, designed
these patterns. Cosemodo Medici contracted a Flemish weaver, Nicolas Carcher,
to set up a tapestry works in Florence and Ferrara, which specialized in
silk pieces. Another exceptional artisan of the time was Charles Germain
de Saint-Aubin, the son of an embroiderer, who became the designer for
Loius XV's wardrobe. He was the author of "L'Art du Brodeur",
an illuminating study of the embroiderers' art. This book contains a wealth
of information including descriptions of the embroiderers' milieu, precise
detailing of stitching techniques, methods of assemblage, as well as first
hand information on working conditions, social values and aesthetics of
the time.
 ouis
XV established the Royal Tapestry Manufactory of Gobelins under the direction
of Jean Soufflet, a Master Weaver. Soufflet experienced problems familiar
to many harried, inventive master artisans running their own shops. He
was bedeviled by workers who caroused at the gatekeeper's house or engaged
in swordplay at work. His biggest problem, however, was money. The King
neglected to pay his bills and the Gobelin looms could not produce work
rapidly or cheaply enough to supply a clientele beyond the court. Louis'
successor, Henry IV, subsidized the Tapestry Works under the direction
of Charles LeBrun. These ateliers were prolific in their output of clothing,
wall hangings and upholstery and flourished until 1789, when the French
Revolution brought production to a virtual standstill. But it was a different
kind of revolution which would have much more spectacular implications
for the textile arts.
"When
hints of the Industrial Revolution began to appear, all ranks of artisans
seem, in retrospect, to have shared a compulsion to show the world the
extravagance of their skill, before technology made it superfluous."
n example
of this phenomenon is the "All Tapestry Room", commissioned by
the Earl of Coventry from the Gobelin Tapestry Works, in which every surface
of the room, including walls, floors and furniture is completely enveloped
in tapestry. The Industrial Revolution began in 1764 with the historic
introduction of the spinning jenny, later replaced by the spinning mule,
which tended by one laborer, could match the output of 200 hand spinners.
Incensed at the loss of jobs, hand weavers rebelled, but the new system
was too profitable for workers to reverse the trend. The factory system.
emerged and artisans were now reduced to automatons.Women and children
worked more cheaply than men and this was the final denouement of male
domination in individually handcrafted fiber arts.
uring
the 1950's the international tapestry biennials in Lausanne, Switzerland
were inaugurated. They gave visibility to, not only the historic monumental
tapestries woven on looms, but also to a broad range of textile arts and
techniques which had lapsed in the intervening years. Across the world
artists were discovering that textile fabrication could be a creative end
in itself, or a mere starting point for further embellishment. This movement
brought together other design skills with the age old processes of needle
and thread. Emerging fiber artists and designers are exploring the new
possibilities for self expression and teaching us all to look at the their
art in new ways. Whether their work tells a story with stitches, or whether
they rely solely on color and texture for more abstract imagery, their
work compels us to look, touch and experiment.
en
are starting, once again, to move back into the vanguard of needle art
design and execution. Join us as we celebrate their accomplishments. This
month we spotlight those who as artists, designers, teachers and shopkeepers
are in the forefront of this trend.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: No part of this feature story nor the included designs/charts
can be reproduced or distributed in any form (including electronic) or
used as a teaching tool without the prior written permission of the CARON
Collection Ltd. or the featured designers. One time reproduction privileges
provided to our web site visitors for and limited to personal use only.
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