Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Tapestry

169

ufacturing rigl1ts of othe1·s as set do,yn in the 1·ulcs of the Сошраnу. Therc \vas а ,vошап in Fiпch Lane ,vho produced tapest.гy, ,vitl1 а cotton back, " afteг the maпner of the \\'Oгks of Arras: " this "\vas coвsidered а dislюnest business, and tЬс ,vork \Vas uгdered to Ье bшnt. Rogeг van der \Veyden designed а set of tapestгies rep1·esenting the Нisto1·y of HerkinЬald, tЬе steш uncle who, ,vitl1 his o,Yn hand, beheaded his nepl1e,v for wronging а young ,voшan. Upon his death-bed, Her­ kinbald 1·efпsed to confess this act as а sin, claiming the nшrder to liave been jпstifiaЫc and а positive vi1·tue. Appaгently the Highe1· Powers ,vere on his side, too, for, when the p1·iest refused the Eucl1arist to tlle iшper­ tinent Herkinbald, it is 1·elated that tl1e Host descended Ьу а miracle апd enteгed the lips of thc dying man. А draшatic story, of ,vhicl1 vап der Weyden made the most, in desigвing his \Voпde1·fully decorative tapes­ tries. Tl1e originals ,vere lost, but similar copics гешаiп. As early as 1441 tapestгies were execнted in Oude­ nardes; пsually these ,vere composed of greeн foliage, and known as " veгdшes." In tiшe the naшes " ve1·­ dшe " and " Oudenai·de " became interchangeaЫy associated with this class of tapest.ry. They гepгesentecl woodland and hunting sceнes, апd ,verc also called "Tapestry vercle," and а1·е allпded to Ьу Chaucer. Curious · syшbolic subjects were often used: fог instancc, for а set of hangings for а banqпet hall, what could Ье more ,vhiшsically approp1·iate than tl1e герге-

/