European Tapestry in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Book excerpt: The internationally acclaimed European tapestry collection in The Minneapolis Institute of Arts comprises forty-one pieces designed and woven between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, representing all the major tapestry-weaving centers - Flanders, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, and Norway. European Tapestry in The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is the first complete documentation of this outstanding and unusually varied collection. Candace Adelson is a leading European-tapestry scholar and the author of numerous articles and exhibition catalogue texts. In this book she describes in detail how European tapestry was created and marketed, explains the techniques of tapestry weaving, and defines technical terms. Then she analyzes the Institute's pieces individually, exploring in depth each tapestry's subject, symbolism, history, and design and listing related works. The result is an invaluable record of a fragile legacy. Everyone interested in learning more about Western culture and the fascinating world of European tapestry will find this extensively researched, lucidly written, and abundantly illustrated catalogue enlightening.