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Printing Instructions

Tapestry in the Renaissance: Art and Magnificence

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The Unity of the State
From a six-piece Gallery of Francis I
Cartoons executed by Charles Badouin and others, after Rosso Fiorentino and Francesco Primaticcio, ca. 1539
Woven at Fontainebleau, ca. 1540–47
Wool, silk, and silver- and gilt-metal-wrapped thread; 10 ft. 9 7/8 in. x 20 ft. 4 1/8 in. (330 x 620 cm)
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Description

Detail Views

Description The Unity of the State is part of a set that is the only certain product of the tapestry workshop Francis I established at Fontainebleau in the 1540s. The set comprises a trompe l'oeil reproduction of six of the fourteen bays in the grand Galerie François I, which was decorated in the 1530s by Rosso Fiorentino and Primaticcio. Each bay comprises an elaborate fusion of painted figural scenes with sculptural frames above wooden wainscoting. Utilizing emblem, fable, and allegory, the iconography was designed to glorify Francis I, emphasizing his kingship by the grace of God and portraying him as the unifying force of the realm. The tapestries were probably made for Francis I, in all likelihood as a virtuoso re-creation in sumptuous materials of one of the most important works of art for which he was responsible.

Photograph Credits