Images

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Additional Views

Feb 4, 2013

Altar Frontal: Scenes from the Childhood of Christ

c. 1500

France and South Netherlands, 16th century

Wool, silk, gold thread; tapestry weave

Overall: 107.3 x 240 cm (42 1/4 x 94 1/2 in.)

Bequest of John L. Severance 1942.826

Location

not on view

Description

Pictorial tapestries were symbols of wealth and more highly prized than paintings. Small tapestries with Christian imagery were frequently commissioned to embellish the fronts of altars. This example displays the Massacre of the Innocents, the Flight into Egypt, and Christ among the Doctors.

Tapestry weave is ideal for creating narrative scenes. The technique can be compared to painting, as each colored weft (horizontal thread) is interlaced with warps (vertical thread) where needed for the pattern. As expensive investments, tapestries have the advantage of being portable and easily stored and displayed.

Provenance

Charles T. Barney; John L. Severance, Cleveland, Ohio.

Citations

Catalogue of the John L. Severance Collection: Bequest of John L. Severance, 1936. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1942. Reproduced: p. [53], Plate XXV, cat. no. 117; Mention: p. 59, cat. no. 117 archive.org

Wadsworth Atheneum, Adelyn Dohme Breeskin, and Charles Crehore Cunningham. 2000 Years of Tapestry Weaving: A Loan Exhibition : Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Dec. 7, 1951 to Jan. 27, 1952 ; the Baltimore Museum of Art, Feb. 27, 1952 to Mar. 25, 1952. Hartford, Conn: Wardsworth Atheneum], 1951. p. 37

The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 184 archive.org

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 72 archive.org

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 72 archive.org

Asselberghs, Jeen Paul. Les tapisseries flamandes aux États-Unis d'Amérique. Bruxelles: Musées royaux d'Art et d'Histoire, 1974. p. 21

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 81 archive.org

Exhibition history

2000 Years of Tapestry Weaving. Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT (December 7, 1951-January 27, 1952); Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD (February 27-March 25, 1952).

Exhibition of the John L. Severance Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (November 12, 1942-March 14, 1943).

35th Anniversary Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 20-September 30, 1951).

When Angels Bent Near the Earth to Touch Their Harps of Gold: The Christmas Story. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 1, 1981-January 17, 1982).

Draped in Splendor: Renaissance Textiles and the Church. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 7, 2003-September 26, 2004).

Only for Beauty? (Textile Rotation) - Gallery 115. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 8, 2014-December 7, 2015).

Art of Embroidery in Late Medieval Europe (Textile Rotation) - Gallery 115. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 19, 2020-April 11, 2021).

Cite this page

{{cite web|title=Altar Frontal: Scenes from the Childhood of Christ|url=https://clevelandart.org/art/1942.826|year=c. 1500|access-date=04 December 2023|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

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Altar Frontal: Scenes from the Childhood of Christ

Altar Frontal: Scenes from the Childhood of Christ

France and South Netherlands, 16th century

Location

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