Exploring the Fine Art of Belgian Tapestries

The windows of souvenir shops around beautiful Grand Place display small and large tapestries, colorful copies of medieval originals. Signs reading “ fait a main “ (handmade) claim their authenticity.

At prices of $100 and up for a work of three square feet, they seem to be reasonable buys--until you see the originals, or new works that are manufactured with medieval techniques. By comparison, the inexpensive copies seem crudely fashioned, garish. Before buying, ask about the method . Your efforts will yield insight into the wonderful and highly celebrated art of Belgian tapestries.

From the 15th to 17th centuries tapestry making was a primary industry in Belgium, then known as Flanders, between the Netherlands and France. Then, as now, a strong rivalry flourished between Flemish (or Dutch) and French-speaking areas. That rivalry was woven into the tapestry industry, as cities competed to find new techniques and dyes that allowed for greater detail and subtlety of shading.

Natural vegetable dyes produced a lovely but limited selection of colors. Additional dyes became available through trade and the palette expanded. Tapestries were vibrantly colored, although most samples that have survived the ages are faded significantly.

The small population of aristocrats who survived the plague found themselves in possession of great wealth. They spent huge sums on architecture and interior decoration. Tapestries were a favorite accessory. Interior castle walls were covered with scenes depicting court life, historical events and royal exploits, landscapes, legends and religious subjects.

Tapestry Thrived

By 1600, one-third of Brussels’ population of 60,000 people was employed in the tapestry industry. The town of Arras (then in Flanders, now in France) was so famous for its tapestries that Shakespeare referred to the tapestry through which Hamlet stabbed Polonius as “arras.”

The town of Tournai has its own secret cross-thread, bobbin-to-bobbin technique and style with small animals and a profusion of flowers around the borders. Flanders sent tapestry-makers around the world. They established workshops from Portugal to Moscow, and even colonized Paris, where M. de Comans and F. Van Der Plancken established the still famous Gobelins atelier.

Keeping the Flemish tapestry tradition alive in Belgium is a subject of concern for the government. Ancient tapestries are carefully maintained in museum collections, such as the one belonging to the Royal Museum of Art and History, in Brussels. There is also an excellent display about the history of tapestries and demonstrations of how they’re made--slowly, painstakingly, with work concentrated on a small section at a time, within a large and complex pattern. The tapestry-maker follows a sketch, or cartoon, in which color is indicated by number.

In 1981 the government-sponsored Fondation de la Tapisserie was founded in Tournai. This research center and workshop (82 Blvd. des Combattants) gives young, accomplished tapestry-makers subsidy and a place to work. Seven tapestry-makers are in residence, including Margaretta de Keukeleer, Bernard Ossowsky and Misha Loof. They work on horizontal or vertical looms up to 12 feet wide, to work out their own creations or cartoons by other artists, most of which have been commissioned by corporations, the government or individuals, through the foundation or other agencies.

Realistic or Abstractions

The designs may be realistic or abstractions. The work is exacting and slow. About one square meter is finished per month. It is fascinating to watch the patterns evolve, as the artists skillfully shuttle their threads back and forth according to complex calculations. The workshops may be visited by appointment, and some classes are offered for novices.

One of the most successful and respected private tapestry works is De Wit in an old abbey in the pretty town of Mechelen (known in French as Malines) in the Province of Antwerp. The firm was founded during the last century, but expanded after World War I under the guidance of Gaspard de Wit, who, until his death in 1971, was considered one of the world’s foremost tapestry-makers.

De Wit began working with the cartoons of contemporary artists, including Delvaux and Julien Lismonde, and applied numbers to the colors in a cartoon, so that the artists’ designs could be realized more exactly. He also invented the technique of using different lengths of stitches in one tapestry. His own designs are vividly colored, dynamic abstractions, many of which have mystical or naturalistic themes, such as astrology or the changing seasons.

The firm, now managed by De Wit’s grandson, Yvan Maes, employs about 10 weavers full-time, and runs a training and apprenticeship program. Part of De Wit’s activity is restoration of ancient tapestries for museums and collectors worldwide. The atelier also produces new works, many commissioned by large corporations.

Recent works include the Northrop Corp.’s huge tapestry showing the landing of the space shuttle with its Northrop escort plane (colors are determined by the heat intensity in each part of the vehicles); racing ships for the Vesti Corp., and a city of Brussels commission, “The Earth in Flower, Our Hope,” designed by Belgian artist Dubrunfaut, which hangs in the underground station at Avenue Louise.

De Wit also has about 200 tapestries of various sizes and designs in stock. Most of them are for sale; many are one of a kind. They include works by Gaspard de Wit and other contemporary artists, as well as medieval designs. The tapestries are shown on a rotating basis in the De Wit workshop’s exhibition hall, or they are kept in vaults at the Bank of Brussels, and shown by appointment.

Prices range from $2,000 to $5,000 and up per square meter. Among these tapestries is a beautiful copy of a Tournai tapestry by Roger van der Weyden. The original was made in 1475; the copy was made 30 years ago and costs $20,000.

Belgium’s good climate for tapestry-makers attracted independent artist Marika Szarz to move to Brussels from Hungary. She works in her own small studio, creating innovative works that seem to fold over on themselves and have hidden parts. She uses a constant mix of dozens of subtly different colors to create a sense of depth and texture.

Szarz produces about one square meter per month, and her tapestries cost from about $1,200 to $2,400 per square meter. Her work is represented in collections in Belgium, Brazil and Budapest.

Prices Comparable

Anne de Blander is another successful independent tapestry maker. Like Szarz, she has her own small atelier. De Blander’s tapestries are usually two or three meters tall, and she uses organic and flowing patterns, hinting at shapes from nature, such as roots or veins. Prices are comparable to those of Szarz.

Antique tapestries are becoming increasingly difficult to find, but they are sometimes available at the antique shop of Christian de Bryn (7 rue Van Moer) or that of Michel Claessons (31 Place du Grand Sablon), where a 17th-Century Brussels tapestry (that has been in the possession of one family since 1900) of about 3 1/2 meters by 3 meters, depicting the court of a mythical king, sells for about $20,000. For other reliable sources of antique Belgian tapestries, check with the Chambre de Antiquaires (32 rue Allard).

If, after you’ve done your research, the less expensive fait a main tapestries still seem appealing to you, a good source is the Texilux Center (41 B rue du Lombard), where you’ll find both variety and reasonable prices.

Prices quoted in this article reflect currency exchange rates at the time of writing.