[stag_toggle style=”normal” title=”Piece details” state=”closed”] Tapestry “Vespasian and Titus”
Workshop Erulo Eroli (1854-1916), Rome, Italy
Wool, basse – lisse technique;
277 x 196 cm
1913[/stag_toggle]
Tapestry is a hand-woven fabric made of wool, wool with silk, silk with gold or silver threads, with polychrome decor, made on a vertical (haute lisse) or horizontal (basse lisse) loom. The decorative motifs are made up of the warp threads, which completely cover the warp threads by crossing them. The surface of the tapestry is not smooth; each warp thread produces, in the narrow depth that separates it from the neighboring thread, a gray shadow (striation), thus creating a value of color. The master tapestryist reproduces in the fabric the cartoon made by the painter, but has great freedom in the treatment of the drawing and in the nuance of the colors.
A worker can weave an average of 4-5 cm2 of tapestry per day and specializes in the execution of either figures, birds, or borders. The border that frames the tapisería differs from one era to another, constituting an indication for the dating of the pieces. The great innovation of the first half of the 18th century was that of the “decorative border” (“alen-tours”) tapestries. The important ornamental motifs serve as a frame for the subject in the center of the composition.
The acquisition of the tapestries from the MN Peleş collection was carried out in parallel with the collection of other art objects, King Carol I being equally interested in painting, furniture, weapons, metal, ceramics, etc. His passion for art would be deepened throughout his life, through specialized readings and numerous trips to Europe and Eastern countries.
“Vespasian and Titus” is part of the series of tapestries with a historical subject, “The Conquest of Judea by Vespasian and Titus”. These pieces were made of woolen yarn, after 1900, in the Ercole Eroli workshops in Rome, commissioned by King Carol I for the decoration of Peleş Castle. The tapestries are exhibited as a wall decoration on the corridor of the Staircase of Honor leading to the first floor. The series, consisting of 6 works (2 tapestries and 4 cardboards), was made in the basse – lisse technique, in the style of Aubusson tapestries. The cardboard represents the model (machete) in natural size of the fabric to be made, being the starting point for traditional tapestries.
The piece represents an allegorical scene with Vespasian and Judea in a landscape, alongside war trophies, at the moment of the coronation ceremony, by a winged female character, an allegory of Victory. At the base of the throne stand the chained Jewish king and a richly draped female character. At Titus' feet, the inscription appears: "JUDEA CAPTA". The entire scene is framed by a large border with a floral-vegetable ribbon, avimorphic motifs and fruit bowls - the symbolism of abundance, and above in the medallion a cartouche with the inscription: "HISTORY. TITI. ET. VESPASIANI." The chromatics of the work are made up of tones of red, colored grays, shades of green and brown.
Caesar Vespasianus Augustus (17 Nov. 69 – 23 Jun. 79), known as Vespasian, was Roman emperor from December 69 to June 79. An energetic, lucid and modest personality, he was concerned with restoring peace and security to the state, seriously affected by the civil war. He reorganized the finances and the army, strengthened the lower Danube border, and created a fleet in the Black Sea. In August 70, his son, Titus, conquered Jerusalem and ended the War of Judea in 72/73, which was reorganized as an independent province.