Henry VIII and the Art of Majesty

Tapestries at the Tudor Court

Thomas P Campbell author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Yale University Press

Published:15th Sep '07

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Henry VIII and the Art of Majesty cover

Luxurious, beautiful, and portable, tapestry was the pre-eminent art form of the Tudor court. Henry VIII amassed an unrivaled collection over the course of his reign, and the author weaves the history of this magnificent collection into the life of its owner with an engaging narrative style. Now largely dispersed or destroyed, Henry’s extensive inventory is here reassembled and reveals how, through tapestry, Henry identified himself with historic, religious, and mythological figures, putting England in dialogue—and competition—with the leading courts of Early Modern Europe while promoting his own religious and political agendas at home. Campbell’s original account sheds new light on Tudor political and artistic culture and the court’s response to Renaissance aesthetic ideals. Sumptuously illustrated with newly commissioned photographs, this stunning re-creation of Europe’s greatest tapestry collection challenges the predominantly text-driven histories of the period andoffers a fascinating new perspective on the life of Henry VIII.



Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British

"This thoroughly researched study provides a welcome infusion of scholarly rigor into a field that has suffered from a bias toward fine arts at the expense of decorative arts. An important contribution to scholarship, it is among the best in its genre. . . . Essential."—Choice * Choice *

  • Winner of William M. B. Berger Prize for British Art History 2008

ISBN: 9780300122343

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 2495g

440 pages