Setting the scene
Subtitle: European painted cloths from the fourteenth to the twenty-first century
By: edited by Nicola Costaras and Christina Young
Contributors: Krischel, Roland; Courtauld Institute of Art; Victoria and Albert Museum
Publisher: Archetype Publications; In association with the Courtauld Institute of Art [and] V&A
Published: 2013
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 122
ISBN-13: 9781904982906
Subjects: Textile painting; History
Other titles: European painted cloths from the fourteenth to the twenty-first century; European painted cloths from the 14th to the 21st century
Description: The conference papers in this volume explore the use of painted cloths in religious ceremony, pageantry, domestic interiors and scenic art, focusing on their change of context and significance from the fourteenth to the twenty-first centuries and examining their different function, materials, and method of creation. The potential for large sizes, portability, and versatility for religious objects including banners, hangings, altarpieces, and palls was the impetus for the emergence of fabrics as a painting support in Western art in the Middle Ages. The functionality of the works explains the survival of relatively few examples. One of the most common forms of interior decoration for centuries, painted cloths have received less attention from art historians and historians than they deserve in part due to their poor survival. Scenic backcloths were once commissioned for court functions, part of an elaborate display of royal power and magnificence. The same methods and materials continued to be used for theatrical cloths.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.