The exposition is built around four classical themes of the art of tapestry making – the narratives of the Sacred History, the hunting trophies, the allegories on the concurrent political events and finally the portrayal of the idle pastoral pleasures. Each of the subjects has its unique narrative built around it and with its own world of protagonists. Exhibited together they become an exemplary part of one big and engaging history of the tapestry making. The “woven magnificence” served as the main decorative element in feudal castles and townhouses of the late medieval and early modern time.
It’s not the first time that In Artibus Foundation has collaborated with the State Hermitage. The Hermitage also has the tapestries and ceramic artefacts from its decorative and applied arts collection on display here. Those pieces compliment beautifully Inna Bazhenova’s art-pieces on display.
The exposition of decorative and applied arts includes four 16-17th century tapestries and three works of 16-17th century majolica and can be seen as premier of a less known part of Inna Bazhenova’s collection. It is only recently that her works of decorative and applied arts were drawn into her focus and attention. Besides European art, this section also includes the antique ceramics, ancient Chinese bronze, Buddhist artefacts, Persian carpets, medieval wooden sculpture and much, much more. However, the present ensemble of four tapestries and embroideries and the works of Italian ceramics of the same period form a separate entity that is united through the fusion of its material and time, therefore exemplifying its execution. Those artefacts are also able to convey the spirit of the epoch, the principles of commissioning, as well as themes and subjects most favoured in the 16-17th century.
