A Tudor Court interlude

Presentation for  the  Textile Museum Associates of Southern California by a young Australian scholar of medieval and Renaissance history and textiles, Dr Lauren  Mackay, which I'm happy to say she pronounces the Scots way, rhymes with sky.

This was a brilliant, tightly constructed, and presented by an experienced university lecturer aware of avoiding intensely technical terms, and, well, wonderful.

She has a book coming out soon, too.

The purpose of this event

was to draw the lines of connection between the Eastern textile artworks acquired by Henry VIII to display his power and wealth, and the continuing cultural exchange this trade developed. Styles of dress as well as carpets and the influence on taste in motifs were depicted in many of Holbein's paintings. 

Since many of the carpets and clothing depicted are no longer available to us, the paintings form an important chronicle of the times. 

We see Moorish design in the works created in Spain which was Islamic dominated for centuries, until Ferdinand and Isabella developed their iron grip, driving out Moslems and Jews and with them the scholarship and artworks they had perfected. 

Their daughter, Katherine of Aragon, was of course, Henry's first Queen. She brought with her Spanish style in dress, including wonderful black work embroidery, and the Moorish influence of Spanish art at the time.

Elizabeth I, three monarchs later,  though less interested in acquiring the textiles, was astute in wielding their power and creating diplomatic links with the East and their leaders.

That's the gist, here's the pix, showing paintings depicting significant artworks in royal contexts along with other similar examples in real life.

 

This is known as a polonaise, Polish, style rug. They were not made in Poland, but imported from Turkey, again a mark of the power and affluence of the buyers.

Hardwick Hall, home of Bess Hardwick, one of the richest women in Europe thanks to being widowed more than once and brilliantly managing her fortune.

This building was spectacular because of the ostentatious affluence depicted in the numerous windows, and general opulence. She wielded power, and could afford to decorate with Eastern rugs as lavish as those in the court.

Military style touches echoing the Eastern style, in the dress at the Tudor court.

Here's an eastern influenced chair, in use by an English protestant Bishop

This is the only time I've ever seen this painting where the focus was on the carpet rather than the death's head extreme foreshortening motif in the foreground! That's usually the point of it. Not here.

Textiles rule!

This was a peace treaty meeting, with a magnificent table rug underlining the high stakes under discussion.

Here, below, is the Field of the Cloth of Gold, Henry's French extravaganza displaying his power and wealth on French territory, with cloth literally including gold fibers. Textiles were a portable demonstration, proclaiming the intent to dominate. 

This was an joint extravaganza put on by King Francois of France and Henry in 1520, ostensibly to celebrate their peace but on Henry's part to hold and increase English holdings in France. 

I've seen cloth of gold, priceless church vestments stored and preserved in a NJ location they asked me not to disclose when I visited with embroiderer friends.  It's stunning, weighs a ton.

I asked permission to write about the holdings but only took pictures of less rare but equally beautiful stitched artworks for security's sake.

Venice was a significant trading center between East and West

Hampton Court, which Cardinal Wolsey built and furnished,  better than any of the king's palaces. Henry forced him to exchange it, complete with all the furnishings, for a much less desirable palace, as palaces go. What Henry wanted, Henry got.

The Alhambra, the Spanish connection, also Moorish, with Katherine and the Tudor court. I've always wondered why we say the Alhambra, since al means the. We're saying "the" twice. But moving on..

The Islamic motifs, where shapes, not people are seen in the symmetrically balanced works. And East meets West in the bottom image, the main players of the era.

This was one of the best lectures I've been at in ages. Only one tiny drawback: on my phone not possible to stop the captions. Between the Islamic names, the art terms, and her Australian accent, the captions were  less useful than ever. Tudor Court was rendered as cheetah caught, etc. 

Small quibble for a great experience.