Real Tapestry Factory -Spain 2021
Until Spain lost its territories in Flanders after the War of the Spanish Succession, the tapestries that arrived in our country came from this region of Western Europe.
It was then, in 1721, that Philip V founded the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, near the Puerta de Santa Bárbara. At the helm was the Vandergoten family, Flemish craftsmen for several generations.
At the end of the 19th century, in view of the need to expand the city of Madrid, Alfonso XII authorised the demolition of the Royal Tapestry Factory building, which was moved to its new headquarters in Atocha. The building, in the neo-Mudejar style, was designed by the Palace’s chief architect, José Segundo de Lema.
In 2006 the building was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and five years later it was selected as part of the Industrial Heritage Plan by the Spanish Historical Heritage Institute.
The historical origin of tapestries dates back to the beginning of human history. The purpose at that time was to insulate stone walls from cold and damp. Their purpose was not decorative, so they were thick tapestries that were hung on the walls.
Tapestries came to decorate rooms in churches, palaces and castles from the Middle Ages onwards. The design became more complex, recreating battle scenes, architectural constructions, hunting scenes or natural landscapes and customs.
As for the technique, first the petit patron is made, which is a sketch and is the most important thing as it composes the idea. The cardboard is made on the petit patron, which is made by the artist or his workshop on a scale of 1:1. Then, on this cardboard, the tapestry weaver weaves.
The stamp composes a colourful image made up of hand weavers, a fundamental tool for the manufacture of these spectacular tapestries.
A 2.40 Euro stamp on Real Tapestry Factory was issued by Spain on 06 Sep 2021.
Stamp Digest 