Intricately detailed and of immense scale, the Battle of Pavia tapestries capture the decisive defeat of the French king Francis I by the Habsburg emperor Charles V in 1525. Gifted to the emperor in celebration of his victory, they are some of the finest surviving examples of monumental 16th-century tapestries, designed by court artist Bernard van Orley and woven in silk, wool and metal-wrapped thread. This seven-piece cycle – each work measuring more than eight metres wide and four metres tall – normally adorns the walls of the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, but is being shown in its entirety for the first time in the United States in this exhibition at the Kimbell Art Museum (until 15 September).
Find out more from the Kimbell’s website.
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The Advance of the Imperial Army and Counterattack of the French Cavalry Led by King Francis I (detail; c. 1528–31), Willem and Jan Dermoyen, after Bernard van Orley. Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, Naples
The Advance of the Imperial Army and Counterattack of the French Cavalry Led by King Francis I (c. 1528–31), Willem and Jan Dermoyen, after Bernard van Orley. Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, Naples
The Surrender of King Francis I (c. 1528–31; detail), Willem and Jan Dermoyen, after Bernard van Orley. Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, Naples