Tapestry-making in Renaissance Florence (1545-1600)

Abstract

The thesis aims to offer a new perspective on tapestry production in sixteenth-century Florence from its establishment in 1545 to the end of the sixteenth century (1600). So far, scholarly literature has mainly investigated tapestries woven in sixteenth-century Florence as finished products in relation to cartoons, their iconographies and patronage. My research seeks to go beyond the traditional framework of studies and analyse tapestries in their making from economic, entrepreneurial and technical perspectives. Tapestries are not just a cartoon, a painter's product; they embody the collective effort of weavers, merchants, investors, dyers and other artisans and professionals. In the thesis, tapestries are reassessed in their making as a product of a complex economic enterprise. By doing this, the thesis combines the traditional art-historical framework with principles of material culture and economic history.

This methodological shift has led to some relevant archival findings, which are contained in the appendix of the thesis. Thereby, the research shows the potential to move away from the dominant perspective in tapestry studies.