Introducing European tapestries: the Burrell collection

Abstract

Glasgow's Burrell Collection is world renowned for its collection of over 200 European tapestries, acquired over many decades and with great acumen by the collector Sir William Burrell. These tapestries, primarily from the medieval and Renaissance periods, showcase the skill and talent of their makers, both in terms of technique and imagination. Their longevity is testimony to the care with which such items were treated by their owners throughout the centuries. This book reveals 50 of the most important pieces, with full colour images of each one. Among them are grand tapestries woven for royalty, such as the Exploration of the Indies, religious narratives made for church altars, including Death of the Virgin, and decorative cushion covers sold to the aspiring merchant classes. Divided by century, the accessible text unpacks the history of these tapestries, exploring their respective themes and explaining the background as to why the narratives were important to the original owners who commissioned them.