[MR] History Blog: Raphael Tapestry Cartoons Digitized

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

A few days ago, the History Blog reported on the Victoria & Albert Museum's
efforts to preserve and display their collection of Raphael Cartoons. No,
not cutsie animated characters like Spongebob. These are highly detailed
and realistic paintings on cloth that served as patterns for tapestry
weaving, but are priceless artworks in their own right:
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/60629 .

The original tapestries woven from these cartoons by Raphael were produced
for Pope Leo X in 1513. The rich and famous of Europe all wanted their own
tapestries for their drafty castles and palaces, including Henry VIII. The
cartoons themselves were later acquired by Charles I of England, and are
still personal property of the Monarch. They have been displayed by the V&A
since Victoria loaned them out in 1865.

Recently the V&A completed a renovation of the Reubens Court, but the
reopening was scuppered by the ongoing plague. Instead you can see the
electronically scanned tapestries themselves, and view other features about
them, on the V&A's website at
https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/raphael-cartoons .

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆