The tapestry will be chosen by people who prefer naturalness and naturalness. If you have children and you care about their health, we advise you to opt for this material.
Tapestry (from French gobelin) - made by hand according to a pattern (cardboard), a carpet-picture (trellis) made of silk (sometimes with the inclusion of silver and gold) and woolen threads.
Today, tapestries are fabrics made using the jacquard weaving method from multi-colored cotton, wool, staple, synthetic and other yarns. Tapestry fabrics are woven from warp and weft threads within the same pattern repeat and have different weaves. The fabric consists of three layers - threads, at various intervals, according to the sample pattern, sequentially move from one layer to another.
Tapestries can have both one-color and multi-color execution.
Advantages and advantages of tapestry:
Tapestry is one of the few upholstery fabrics that are always in stable demand and arouse steady interest among the buyer. The advantages of tapestry fabrics are difficult to exaggerate. High strength and durability are successfully combined with the beauty and variety of colors. As a rule, the tapestry is woven from cotton, but if it is required to increase the wear resistance of the fabric, synthetic fibers are added to its composition. Tapestry can be dry-cleaned. This fabric does not fade in the light and does not contribute to dust formation. Thanks to a special impregnation, modern tapestry fabrics are very resistant to dirt. Furniture draped with tapestry is pleasant to the touch, has antistatic properties.
Tapestry care:
Tapestry fabrics are unpretentious in care. It is enough to clean them from time to time with a vacuum cleaner and a soft brush.
If liquid comes into contact with the tapestry, blot the upholstery with a paper towel or absorbent towel.
At the moment, the tapestry is a dense jacquard fabric. At the same time, the base is most often linen, but the weaving threads can be natural (wool, silk), and synthetic, or they can be of a mixed composition.
The material in question has mass advantages:
- Strength. Due to the complex weaving, as well as special threads, this material will last for more than one year, damage rarely appears on it.
- Ease of maintenance.
- Variety of ornaments and brightness of colors.
- Tapestry fabric is pleasant to the touch.
- Due to the antistatic property, dust almost does not settle on it.
Application and fabric care:
Tapestry fabric is quite unpretentious, easy to care for. Since they are most often impregnated with special solutions, they are incredibly resistant to dirt. They are recommended to be cleaned with a dry brush or vacuum cleaner. If water does get on the material, it is better to dry it with a towel, avoiding sunlight on the fabric.
Due to its qualities, tapestry fabric is incredibly popular in a variety of areas. Firstly, it is the most demanded material for furniture upholstery. Due to its numerous colors and patterns, furniture made of such material can fit into any interior.
Due to their unusual appearance and texture, tapestries very often attract the attention of designers and customers. Some knowledge about it will help to deal with all the intricacies of creating an interior and caring for such a product.
What it is?
Tapestry, or tapestry is the result of one of the types of applied art. The finished product has both utilitarian and decorative properties. In modern design, the tapestry is treated as a work of art, a painting. The creation of the canvas does not use brushes and paints, the material is purely woven.
Thanks to the various interweaving of colored threads, a unique work is created, which is made on a specific topic, for example, a love story or one of the moments of a summer hunt, or it can also have an abstract meaning.
History of occurrence
It is very difficult to trace the origins of the tapestry. This is due to the fact that many peoples independently engaged in and developed weaving within their ethnic group. The oldest tapestries come from Egypt. In the tomb of Thutmose IV (XV BC), a linen cloth depicting scarabs and lotuses was found, and in the tomb of Tutankhamen (XIV BC), a dress and gloves created in the likeness of a tapestry were found. But even such good reasons to claim that these are the very first tapestries are not proof of this.
Historians claim that the Egyptians adopted this type of weaving from the peoples of Mesopotamia, this is evidenced by the records of ancient authors.
In Homer's poem "The Odyssey" there is a mention of burial items made using the tapestry technique. This fact testifies to the existence of weaving in ancient Greece and Rome.
On the other side of the world, in pre-Columbian America, mainly in ancient Peru, during excavations, elements of tapestries were found, most of all in their application corresponding to modern ideas about tapestries. The Peruvians not only decorated the walls with woven paintings, but also used them, hiding from drafts.
Ancient tapestries from China were distinguished by sophistication and special subtlety. Chinese craftsmen used motifs taken from nature to create such elements of decor and clothing: unusually beautiful and exotic flowers, intertwined stems, sophisticated landscapes. Japan adopted the art of this type of weaving from the Chinese peoples.
Tapestries gained wide popularity in Europe in the Middle Ages thanks to the mass campaigns of the crusaders. Tapestries were a particularly valuable trophy and highly valued.
Each nation had its own name for tapestries: among the Greeks - "tapes", in Italy - "arezzi", in Latin - "tapetum". The very word "tapestry" comes from France. In the 17th century, the Royal Tapestry Manufactory opened, giving the name to its products.
Moreover, experts say that only the products of this factory can rightly be called "tapestry", the rest are tapestries.
It should be noted that the scope of woven art is large and diverse. In addition to utilitarian and decorative properties, tapestries are still used today as upholstery for upholstered furniture, as elements of clothing or clothing in general (to create traditional outfits), as a replacement for classical icon painting, in a heraldic sense, and so on.
Manufacturing technique
Traditionally, tapestries are handcrafted. The process is similar to weaving lint-free carpets, but it is more laborious and painstaking, since the threads are much thinner and the pattern is very detailed.
Initially, the main tool for creating a product was an ordinary frame, on which the warp threads were stretched. To achieve the desired tension, they used nails driven into the frame or evenly made special holes on the inside of the frame itself. The weft thread, wound on a spool or simply wound into a ball, is passed between the warp threads, and after the row is completed, it is nailed with fingers or using a special mallet.
More technical is the process using a machine tool. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the machine can be placed both horizontally and vertically.
The master works according to a sketch drawn on cardboard, and the size of the drawing and color completely matches the size and colors of the future trellis. But despite the fact that the weaver has to copy another work, he must have artistic inclinations, be able to preserve color reproduction, understand the intricacies of the image of chiaroscuro, imagine what the finished woven work will look like in order to select the right thread in this row.
Large manufactories producing products on a global scale even arranged art schools at their factories, which increased the quality of finished products.
Since the process of creating this canvas is very laborious and time-consuming, up to 5-6 people can work on one tapestry. Thus, one work is divided into several parts, which are then sewn together with silk thread. You could understand this by looking at the wrong side: there were seams on it.
Thanks to a large number of techniques, it is possible to achieve a variety of effects in the manufacture of tapestries. If in the classical form the warp threads remain invisible, then in the modern version, the masters can deliberately leave them on the front side of the picture. This technique is called rep, because the fabric takes on a certain relief in a rib, which in French sounds like “rep”.
The modern tapestry as an element of decor has undergone great changes over the past decades. This type of decoration of walls and various surfaces has become so popular in recent years that it simply had to become more accessible to the masses.
A fully woven product is an expensive pleasure, few can afford such refinement. But the non-woven tapestry is very simple in execution, and outwardly it is almost indistinguishable from the original.
Such a product is created using a special layout of the pattern with colored fibers or threads on the base. It is difficult to call the product a tapestry in the traditional sense of the word, because a “tapestry” is, first of all, a woven fabric. However, the laid out pattern has a woven texture and a very detailed and dynamic pattern.
Chinese masters have come up with another type of non-woven trellis. Panels are made without the use of knitting needles or a hook. All elements are made of cardboard, on which yarn is subsequently wound. On a completely wrapped base and frame, the master glues ready-made parts, creating a composition.
Advantages and disadvantages
Tapestry has many advantages as an element of decor. Such a picture looks very elegant, you want to look at it, remember every element, it magically attracts attention, creates comfort and a warm atmosphere in the house.
In a practical sense, such an acquisition will also be useful. The canvas has an antistatic property and does not attract dust, the fabric holds its shape well, does not warp or deform, and is easy to clean. Tapestries are suitable for any style in the interior, the main thing is to choose the right pattern.
The disadvantages include a relatively large weight, which does not allow the use of the technique in relation to everyday clothing. At home, it is better not to wash or iron the product, as this may affect its appearance.
Main characteristics
Each nation had its own way of weaving tapestries. They differ in texture and in the material used. Currently, to create a certain relief, the master selects any necessary manufacturing method.
- Plain weaving is considered the most common and has a wider use among craftsmen. To create a product, the weft thread in a checkerboard pattern passes through the warp threads. Thus, the first pass overlaps the even warp threads, and the second overlaps the odd ones.
- Egyptian weaving creates a semblance of an ordinary pigtail from weft threads. This effect is obtained due to the fact that the thread that creates the pattern is braided around the warp thread with a knot and tightened. This process is one of the most labor intensive. Often only certain elements are weaved in this way.
- Greek weaving does not form a dense, loose surface. To knit a row, 2 or 3 weft threads are required, which are intertwined with warp threads like a regular braid.
Weaving methods that are more complex in execution: knitting, sumac weaving, twill, giordes, hay. Each differs in density, relief, the possibility of manufacturing elements of varying complexity. Each method has its own material.
Woolen, cotton, silk threads can either emphasize the relief, or vice versa, create a perfectly flat surface.
Varieties of fabric
In the modern view, tapestry as a material is a kind of jacquard fabric. Jacquard is a large-patterned fabric with a complex or simple weave of more than 24 threads, which is distinguished by its high density, strength, pattern complexity, versatility of textures, colors and patterns. The warp is usually linen, but the weft threads are silk, wool or synthetic.
Thin, graceful, with detailed drawing, tapestries are obtained from silk threads. Clothes, curtains, bedspreads are sewn from such material.
For utilitarian purposes, such as protection against drafts, wool products are suitable. Woolen threads are the most convenient and less labor-intensive material for weaving, but very heavy. From it are obtained carpets on the walls and on the floor. The upholstery of upholstered furniture is best made from cotton materials. And tablecloths and bed linen are made of linen. Metal threads are used for decorative purposes, add shine and shimmer in the light.
Fashionable patterns and colors
Since these products have a centuries-old history and are considered an attribute of antiquity, in our time it is considered fashionable to emphasize this particular property. Based on this, the theme of the tapestry reflects moments that are not related to modern life - these are illustrations for a medieval book or a woven reproduction of a Renaissance work, an image of a hunting scene in Rus'.
Such canvases, even made in modern factories, will make you think that, perhaps, this particular tapestry once hung in the palace of the King of France. The interior will immediately acquire a "history".
Another "classic" in the performance of tapestries is the image of nature on canvases. Tapestries with deer, bears, horses and simply gorgeous landscapes are a more democratic option than, for example, classic battle scenes.
For romantic ladies who prefer styles such as shabby chic, flowers on tapestries will perfectly complement the interior design. Gorgeous peonies, roses, hibiscus are the main attributes of antique style. More infantile plots are frames from anime films or the image of cute cats and puppies on canvases. Woven calendars are an original way to find out the date and emphasize the stylistic direction of the interior.
In a historical sense, tapestries do not have too bright colors. Previously, there were no pigments capable of creating, for example, a juicy lime color or sky blue, all shades are muted, soft, but deep. Based on this, choose a tapestry for classic and minimalist interiors in these colors. You can experiment with bright pop art designs with paints. For the plot, there is sure to be food for thought.
Areas of use
In the modern world, the area of use of tapestries has narrowed somewhat. Because of their heaviness, tapestries are not suitable for full-fledged clothing, although in ancient times woven robes and dresses were considered traditional clothing in Japan and China. Designers in the world of high fashion continue to create haute couture outfits in this technique, but it is unlikely that such models will reach the ready-to-wear collections.
But the elements - the processing of the edge of the sleeve or the lapel on the jacket, can be found in everyday life.
In interiors, their scope is wider. Jacquard fabric is used to sew upholstery for furniture, pillowcases, bedspreads. If we talk about the ancient areas of application of tapestries, then it is enough to recall Homer's Odyssey, in which Penelope weaved a shroud for her father-in-law, since housing construction technologies were at a low level, and woolen carpets were woven to shelter from drafts and cold. For kings during travels and military campaigns, entire tents were prepared from tapestries.
Top Producers
There are many weaving mills that specialize in the production of tapestries or have one of the directions associated with them, both in Russia and around the world.
The city of Ivanovo is famous for the production of a wide variety of fabrics. Ivanovo tapestries are used for the manufacture of pillowcases, paintings, panels, curtains, bedspreads, napkins, bags, calendars. The factories employ designers, artists, design specialists and workers responsible for the smooth operation of machine tools. All equipment is mainly made abroad, and the experience in creating drawings was adopted from masters from China, Turkey and Italy.
You can buy Ivanovo tapestries at exhibitions of Ivanovo products, at retail outlets, as well as through online stores.
Starting from the end of the 15th century, Flanders took the lead for three centuries ahead in the workshop production of tapestries of the highest class. The main centers were the cities of Belgium - Bruges and Antwerp, and a little earlier Arras. The main difference between Belgian tapestries is the introduction of "Cypriot gold" threads into the fabric - twisted silk or linen was wrapped around gold or silver wire. Precious metals are included in the product, which gives a special price to the canvas.
To this day, Belgian tapestries are unique and considered an expensive purchase.
Along with them, French and Italian products have absorbed the traditional aspects of weaving, compatible with the latest technologies. European factories offer panels with medieval motifs, and are also ready to create reproductions by contemporary artists.
France, Belgium and Italy have long been considered classic producers of tapestries to this day.
For unique and colorful solutions, it is recommended to turn your attention to the East. Here, handicrafts are presented by Indian, Chinese and Japanese craftsmen. The theme of tapestries from India is traditional ornaments, images of elephants, the god Shivva and other deities.
Chinese tapestries also reflect elements of history and tradition. Many motifs are devoted to the image of nature, amazing and beautiful flowers, significant events.
Japanese products are striking in their beauty. A frequent theme is Japanese women in national costumes with all sorts of cultural paraphernalia, branches of cherry blossoms, landscapes, and architectural elements.
Little things, as you know, make life. And the little things very often decorate our life, make our home cozy and even special, unique. Everything is subject to fashion from clothing and women's jewelry to trends in design and art. It is difficult to say that the fashion for tapestries was born only now, because this type of decorative art has been known since the Middle Ages, although it probably appeared earlier. But fashion is changeable and repeatable over time in a new quality. So it is with tapestries, definitely, the fashion for them has returned and is gaining momentum.
How to distinguish a genuine valuable tapestry from a machine copy
Not often in people's apartments you can find an artistic, at the same time decorative, at the same time woven product, which is used as a wall carpet. But it can serve as a panel, or upholstery, even a curtain. And it's called a tapestry. Tapestries are a kind of work of art. This is without stretch and discounts. The best tapestries are worthy of museums and are exhibited there with pleasure.
They come in manual (truly authentic) and machine copies. Tapestries differ according to the method of production, materials for embroidery, appearance and artistic value. The most expensive gold-woven tapestries. Real tapestries have knots on the wrong side, loose ends of the threads that are not cut short so that the product retains strength.
Machine tapestries are also of value for interiors and design experiments. You can not chase authenticity if you are not a snob, but remember, you can forget about exclusivity. It is likely that you will find a copied tapestry pattern similar to yours in some shabby hotel.
The history of tapestry - their care and examples of use in the interior
Tapestries came to us from France in the 17th century. The first French tapestries reflected historical events, religious, mythological. Then everyday life entered the tapestry. Magnificent tapestries were on everyday topics, landscapes, portraits, their cost was truly enormous, and by the beginning of the 20th century, the production of tapestries was discontinued.
Genuine tapestries, not even embroidered with gold and silver, have a museum value and only very wealthy people can afford to have them at home. As a rule, these are small wall panels that look very impressive on the walls. Tapestries require careful handling, as they are heavy and can break under their own weight. Tapestries must be carefully, and most importantly, systematically cleaned of dust, aired for a long time and dried reliably in the sun.
Machine tapestries are made for mass consumption. They are not of museum value, but still not cheap. They are also, like their more prestigious counterparts, very great for decorating an apartment in the form of a panel. Furniture covered with tapestry has a very expensive look, lasts much longer than that covered with any other fabric, and such furniture itself is a decoration in the apartment.
Treatment of infertility in the sanatorium of the city of Saki.
When visiting elite art exhibitions or original gift shops, the first thing that catches your eye, despite the huge rich assortment, is, of course, the sophistication and beauty of tapestry paintings.
The professional performance and variety of subjects of these works delight both art aesthetes and ordinary people who are indifferent to the elements of interior decoration. Today, tapestry paintings are very popular, as they are presented in various stylistic directions.
On them you can see colorful landscapes, religious scenes, realistic still lifes, reproductions of paintings by famous artists - from classical themes to modern design trends.
If you are going to buy a tapestry painting, then you are making the right choice, because with the purchase of this wonderful product your interior will be distinguished by special sophistication and individuality. The picture will be the finishing touch of the decor. But in order for it to be combined with the interior, its content and features of the room in which it will be located should be taken into account. For example, landscapes with images of cities are neutral, so they can be placed in any room. With still lifes, the situation is different: it is more appropriate to place them in the kitchen or in the dining room than in the bedrooms. Portraits, reproductions of paintings by artists and religious subjects are ideal for decorating the interior of halls, living rooms and bedrooms.
Pictures from tapestry fabric pleasantly surprise with a variety of sizes. Thanks to this, you will be able to choose a picture of the size that is ideal for placement in your room. For such complex sections of walls as niches and narrow walls that are problematic to decorate, vertical tapestry paintings are perfect. Long and narrow horizontal paintings fit perfectly into the free space above the sofa.
Tapestry without frames (without baguette)
Paintings made from tapestry fabric can be purchased in a baguette or without a frame. A tapestry without a baguette is also called a "coupon". What are its benefits? The finished frame may not match your taste or interior design. Therefore, the coupon does not limit you, since you can purchase absolutely any baguette or use your imagination and frame the picture yourself. To do this, you just need to contact the framing workshop, where you will be helped to choose from hundreds of baguette options exactly the one from which the frame will best match the plot of the picture, interior design and your financial capabilities.
Tapestry-coupon is also very convenient for transportation or shipment. It can be easily rolled and packaged, so it is easy to send such a tapestry to its destination or take it with you on a trip as a gift. But a picture framed is much more difficult and somewhat problematic to transport.
Tapestry for embroidery with ribbons
Tapestry without frames has another advantage: it is very convenient for creative activities, such as ribbon embroidery. You will be able to create a unique work of art yourself, or reproduce the plots of domestic and foreign artists such as Goryachev, Dandorf, Weber, Kruger and many others.
With a tapestry for embroidery with ribbons, you will spend your free time usefully, realizing your creative potential and revealing the secret corners of your imagination. And the product created by your hands will decorate the interior of the house, causing admiration of family members and guests. Be sure to try to do this needlework, perhaps you have a huge talent that you were not aware of before.
Where to buy tapestry paintings in Moscow?
The Literi online store offers a wide selection of tapestry fabric paintings that are perfect not only as an exquisite interior decoration item, but also as an original gift for family members, relatives, friends, work colleagues and managers. It is much more profitable to buy tapestry paintings in Moscow from us, unlike many other stores, since we set reasonable prices for this exclusive product.
You can find out the information of interest and place an order by phone: 8 495 212 13 80.
Reflections during the tour
2009 has passed. There were many exhibitions of tapestry. Shall we summarize?
The article was published in the magazine "Deco" No. 1 for 2010.
Here I give in the author's edition and add photos from exhibitions.
Some of the work can be viewed on the blog at the links indicated in the text.
For many years in Moscow there was almost nowhere to see tapestries or old tapestries. No, not curtain fabrics and not industrial copies of famous tapestries, but real author's wall carpets, narrative or decorative, woven on a hand loom.
For example, such as this beautiful trellis "Multiplication of loaves"(1730–1735 Brussels) from the Tsaritsyno Museum.
Due to the lack of information, the rare occurrences of tapestries at the exhibitions of the Moscow Union of Artists went unnoticed even by those who remembered and still loved this art.
The reasons were not only in the fact that the fashion for tapestry and the peak of the artists' passion for weaving had passed. Creating a tapestry is a lengthy job. It is difficult to do it, not knowing if there is a wall on which the tapestry will hang.
A newborn carpet has three paths in life. It will first appear at the exhibition, perhaps even impress the audience. And then it will disappear. Where?
An honorable fate - to get into the storerooms of the museum, great - to the permanent exhibition. Luck is in a private interior, and the best thing for a tapestry is to decorate a public interior.
During perestroika, the practice of orders from official bodies and organizations and the execution of tapestries by weavers ceased. Having gained the desired freedom, the creators were confused. Those who continued to work faced the problem of implementation. Only a few did not change their cause in such conditions.
Tapestry, as a luxury item, has always been available to a few. Wealthy people nowadays make do with less expensive industrial and Chinese copies of European tapestries or purchase antique tapestries. Rare customers do not need serious themes and plots to decorate the interior. To understand the value of the unique, original work of contemporary artists, apparently, is still far away.
But the situation is changing. Exhibitions of applied arts and tapestries presented at them have recently become more and more.
In November 2008, four perfectly preserved Flemish tapestries from the first third of the 18th century from the collection of the Ledeburg counts appeared in the Tsaritsyno Museum. They were purchased by the Government of Moscow in Spain especially for the museum.
The tapestries are part of the Life of Christ series: The Trial of Christ in the Wilderness, The Miraculous Catch, The Multiplication of Loaves, Christ and the Samaritan Woman, and are distinguished by a high artistic level. They were created in 1730-1735 in the Brussels workshop of Jean-Baptiste Vermilion from the cardboards of the Flemish artists Maximilian de Haze (1710-1781) and Aurelle-Augustin Coppens (1668-1740).
De Haze is a Brussels-based painter who created several tapestry series on biblical themes; Coppens is a landscape painter who worked with the largest tapestry workshops.
Weaving density - 8 warp threads per 1 cm.
Trellis "The Trial of Christ in the Wilderness". GMZ "Tsaritsyno". 
Multi-figure plot compositions woven from wool and silk are framed by a woven border in the style of that time, brilliantly imitating a carved and gilded wooden frame.
Trellis "Great catch." Fragment. 
Later, the museum acquired two landscape tapestries - verdures:
"Nymphs in the Park"(c. 1700) 
And "Landscape with a river, a fountain, a parrot and a dog"(late 17th - early 18th centuries).
Entire trellis - see below. While snippet: 
Despite the lower density of weaving, their skillful pattern is not inferior to tapestries with biblical scenes. Time has treated the woven paintings with care, although in some places the colored threads have lost their brightness, and the green color has turned into a bluish color over the past centuries. We often see this effect on old tapestries. This is the result of the fact that in Europe turmeric and other unstable yellow dyes were often used to obtain green after the first dyeing of indigo.
The reverent attitude of museum workers to tapestries, the love with which the exposition was created are undeniable. But, unfortunately, the ancient tapestries are not placed in the interior in a “natural way”, but hang on “pylons”, painted, moreover, in the color of the guards’ costumes (or vice versa?).
Left: tapestry "Wonderful Catch"; on right: "Christ and the Samaritan Woman". 
I would like to hope that the ancient tapestries will find their true place in the interior of the palace. So far, the only example of a historically reliable arrangement of tapestries in the interior (XVIII century) in Moscow is the museum-estate "Kuskovo". This solution gives the visitor more food for the eyes, mind and heart.
For the 25th anniversary of the Tsaritsyno museum in the spring of 2009, the tapestry exhibition was continued under the general title "The Art of Tapestry: Two Glorious Epochs - Western European tapestry of the late 17th - first third of the 18th century - Soviet tapestry of the second half of the 20th century."
The connecting link between the old trellis and the tapestry of the Soviet period are intended to be in the exposition of the work of two contemporary artists.
Right to left: tapestry "Landscape with a river, a fountain, a parrot and a dog." Southern Netherlands. Brussels (?), Oudenarde (?). Late XVII - early. 18th century Density 5-6 warp threads per 1 cm; Heimrats R.(Riga). "Fragments of memories of the 18th century". 1982; Madekin A.(Moscow). "Marriage in Cana of Galilee". 1989. Tsaritsyno State Museum Reserve (Photo courtesy of A. Madekin). 
A series of fine tapestries Rudolf Heimrats, which stood at the origins of the Latvian tapestry, is dedicated to "memories of the 18th century." Before us is an image of the "surviving" fragments of ancient tapestries. 
They are placed on a tetrahedron at the end of the hall with tapestries, almost on the way of the visitor, which does not contribute to the harmonious perception of the interior. Andrey Madekin's tapestry "Wedding in Cana of Galilee" (1989) also plays here, connected with ancient carpets only by a biblical story.
The exhibition is planned to be made permanent, but with the renewal of tapestries from the museum's extensive collection (more than 370 works). Now you can see 60 tapestries here, including a series of mini tapestries of the finest silk weaving by Irina Kolesnikova, dedicated to the Tsaritsyno Palace.
The collection was formed from works that were acquired by the Ministry of Culture and the Union of Artists of the USSR in 1960–1980. They were transferred to the Tsaritsyno Museum when it was formed in 1984. The museum was planned as a future collection of works of arts and crafts of the peoples of the USSR.
Such an extensive retrospective exhibition gives a fairly complete picture of the heyday of tapestry in our country during the period of enthusiasm for this art in many countries of the world.
Here, as in past years at large exhibitions of decorative art, artists from the Baltic States, Russia, and the Caucasus are all together again.
Artists from Latvia still amaze with bursts of emotions, unbridled color, pomp and luxury of textures, a variety of techniques and materials:
Edith Wigner."Concert" (1975). Fragment: 
Mara Zvirbule. Fertility (1981): 
Fragment. 
Estonian Leezi Erm(Tallinn). "Earth" (1982), "Hoarfrost II" (1987). Photo of the second work below on the left.
Right part of the tapestry Ingie Sweeney(Riga) Student Summer (1981). 
Fragment. 
Egil Rozenberg from Riga ("Morning" 1978) pleases with the looseness of the drawing.
Mina Levitan-Babyanskene ("Harmony of the Universe" (1987) from Lithuania strikes with the mysteriousness of the seemingly simple weaves.
Amazes with refined picturesqueness R. Heimrats(Riga) in "Saturday Evening" (1980) (it seems that steam is rising from the tapestry!).
Fragment: 
or unbridled brightness - in the "Celebration Dance" (1973-75). The central part of the triptych: 
Lithuanians are more restrained in texture searches.
The bright, passionate works of the Baltics have always raised the tone at exhibitions, turned them into a celebration of weaving and attracted more and more new artists.
to making tapestries.
Russian craftsmen rarely succumbed to temptation and worked mainly in the technique of smooth weaving. One of the early tapestries in the exhibition - Valentina Platonova"Moscow Rus" (1968). Long (6 m), unevenly woven in places, with its rough handwork, it seems to remind you that the tapestry itself was once born from a simple homespun path, which the craftswomen wove on long winter evenings. 
Tapestries amaze with their size, powerful pattern and unambiguous blue-red scale. Lina Sokolova: diptych "Time" (1986) and
"Eternity" (1988): 
Leningrader Boris Migal, one of the few who experimented with textures, weaving techniques and various materials (“The Sky of the World” (1989) and “Magistral” (1972). And his tapestries always made him stop and think about seemingly imperceptible details, talking about a lot.
For many years, these carpets were in "honorary exile" in a dark vault. And finally, they are ready to please people again. However, the enfilade of small halls, where tapestries sometimes hang on the windows covered with shields and on wide partitions in the center that obscure the carpets, does not always allow one to take in the whole tapestry with a glance. But in most cases, a full-fledged perception of a woven image is possible precisely at a distance.
The desire of the museum to show as many works as possible is understandable, but the interiors of the palace have turned into a cramped repository open to the public. Tapestries, designed to decorate the interior, this time it was almost destroyed.
The exhibition also lacks its logical conclusion - modern works.
But now they can be seen at Moscow exhibitions. Looking around their thinned ranks, the artists discovered that they were engaged in tapestry, and not only in Moscow, but also in other places. And even those artists who do not participate in exhibitions do it very successfully, for example,
Lilia Yakina(S.-Ptb.). "Hunt" (2004). See photos of fragments in artist's blog .
And a generation of young artists appeared, sometimes still somewhat hectic with the joy of finding the opportunity to express themselves in the technique of weaving.
Let's go through the Moscow exhibitions in 2009.
The most interesting was the All-Russian Exhibition of the Union of Artists "Russia XI" at the Central House of Artists (see And ).
More than 50 tapestries were presented, created by young and already well-known artists from all over the country.
For many years they have been working in the technique of traditional smooth weaving Sergey Gavin (Moscow) "Restoration project" (2006) (photo ).
Alexander Gorazdin (Moscow) Code of Relations (2008) Andrey Madekin (Moscow) Jacob at the Source (2004) and Flight of Pegasus (2006), M. Rybalko (Tula) Life and Movement (2008) (See the two links above to "Russia XI").
Others delicately and successfully introduce relief elements into a smooth tapestry: N. Zinchenko (Novosibirsk) "The Space of Ice" (2005), E. Odintsova (Naberezhnye Chelny) "Dots" and "Sky" (2008) (see the link to the exhibition) .
V. Goncharov(Voronezh) in the triptych "Awakening" (2005) creates an interesting image in a strict range, varying matte and shiny threads of different textures. Light emerges from darkness with dynamic, multidirectional strokes of twill. Only B. Migal worked so masterfully in this technique.
Triptych fragment: 
Sometimes an artist is fascinated by a difficult task: to convey other types of fine art by means of weaving. Although what is interesting in tapestry is not the imitation of other techniques, but its own language, in the work O. Popova(Belgorod) "Undergraund" (2005) is done elegantly, freshly and concisely. The past and the future, dreams and reality blur with watercolor colored spots and are “drawn” from non-existence with a “thin pen” and black “ink”. An additional effect of mossy antiquity is given by dyed sisal fibers. 
Extreme conciseness of color and pattern creates a capacious image in tapestries N. Fedulova"Running of the moon" (see link).
and "Scythian Tattoos" (2008): 
Perhaps the peculiarities of the tapestry are due to the use of a rare, difficult material for weaving - horsehair in natural shades. Tapestries have a nice fluffy surface.
I was attracted by the humor and freedom of drawing in small tapestries by V. Mukhin (Ivanovo) "Night Melody" (2005) and others (see link).
At the exhibition "Dialogue" at the Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Art (see ) along with the works of artists, exhibits from the museum's collection were presented. It was not possible to trace the connection between modern tapestry and folk tradition at the exhibition. But the tapestries of previous years by A. Madekin "The Gospel of the Apostle Andrew" (1994), V. Rybalko "Composition", S. Yurchenko "The Emergence" (2006) (see link) adorned the exposition.
At the exhibition art connect in the gallery "Belyaevo" (see. ) we saw a number of works that had already been exhibited more than once at previous exhibitions. Some of the work did not rise above the initial level.
Tapestries by V. Rybalko "Composition" and "Reflection", as always, amaze with the refinement of the pattern and color (see the link above
And ).
From single works presented at general exhibitions, a distorted idea of the artist's work is sometimes created. Therefore, personal exhibitions are the most interesting. An event in the history of Russian tapestry was exhibition by A. Madekin in the Gallery of the Cultural Center "Dom" in November, which featured thirteen works from different years (see and ). All these years, the artist has been tirelessly weaving tapestries at the behest of his heart, despite the lack of exhibitions, market demand, and the whims of customers.
The new tapestry by A. Madekin "The Way of the Magi" became a wonderful final chord of the entire textile year. (Cm. ).
There are so many exhibitions that, apparently, the artists no longer have time to create new works, and they wander from one exhibition to another, turning into a permanent exhibition, which is also not bad for popularizing the tapestry. But I want something new, fresh and highly artistic.
To continue the line of a classic trellis does not mean weaving the same way as in the old days. Tapestry is an art that allows you to be relevant at any time in essence, even remaining within the framework of classical smooth weaving.
It will be alive as long as people who can perceive beauty are alive, as long as textiles as such are alive. But, of course, this art is changing. And why not finally look for new forms of working with textile materials? And what prevents artists from more actively seeking ways to collaborate with architects and return to the tapestry its significance as a monumental art form? Today, when the architectural buildings themselves sometimes become unique works of art, they should also receive interesting interior solutions. It seems that this path is more productive than, yearning for past government orders, to go into the "chamber" tapestry. Woven products will also create warmth and comfort in interiors with fashionable decorative plasters replacing wallpaper.
In weaving, it is not easy to convey creative fire to the viewer. This requires a lot of work, patience and time. And most importantly - love for your work. An interesting solution is always born organically, according to the thought and feeling that moved the artist. Then we will not need our favorite props in the form of a formal division of the plane into geometric shapes, filling the remaining space with “something”.
Finding your own, unique handwriting for an artist means writing your page in the history of art. The secret of any talented work is known - give it your whole soul. And then it will surely find a response in the soul of the viewer.
And instead of concluding, let's dream of a large retrospective exhibition of Russian tapestry, starting from the first - St. Petersburg tapestries of the 17th century (not excluding works from the 30-50s of the 20th century) and up to the present day. And you can dream even more - about an international exhibition.
