Long lost Henry VIII tapestry turns up in Spain
Friday, May 9, 2014 @ 9:41 AM
St Paul and the Burning of the Books, one of the lost tapestries from Henry VIII's extensive collection, and widely considered the "fourth best tapestry" in his possession, has "emerged" in Spain, at the Coll & Cortés gallery in Madrid, where it will be on show until June 8th after having been purchased from an anonymous vendor.
The tapestry, which was acquired in the 1970s by a Spanish art collector, is "incredibly well preserved" according to its current owners, reflects an important moment in the history of England and Europe. It has been valued at 1.1 million euros, but can only be sold in Spain because the State will not allow it to leave the country.
According to Bentley Angliss, a partner at ABM Art and Auctions, the work could fetch as much as five million euros outside of Spain. St Paul and the Burning of the Books was woven in wool, silk, silver and gold in Brussels in 1535. It was commissioned by King Henry VIII from Peter Coecke van Aelst, who had received commissions from other monarchs of the era, like Queen Mary of Hungary, Emperor Charles V and the Habsburg court in Brussels.
The piece was part of the English Royal Wardrobe in Hampton Court and then at Windsor Castle, where it was displayed alongside three other tapestries commissioned by Henry VIII, who at one time boasted a collection of over 2,700 tapestries. This work was expressly commissioned by the King, who was "particularly attracted" to the figure of St Paul. It is said that the image depicted in the tapestry represents the split between the Anglican and Catholic churches through the evident antagonism between St Paul (England) and St Peter (Rome).
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com