Details Of Life Of Jesus Christ At Gallery Of The Tapestries In The Vatican Museum Editorial Photo

Gallery of the Tapestries in the Vatican Museums is lined with wool tapestries telling stories from the life of Christ. They were woven in Brussels at the workshop of Pieter van Aelst in the early 16th century. Roman in design they are the work of the group known as the New School, what remained of Raphael’s workshop after his untimely death, and Flemish in manufacture they were part of an elaborate and expensive pan European project, befitting their role decorating the lower levels of the Sistine Chapel. They were first hung in 1531 over the painted faux drapery of the lower register of the side walls of the Chapel; astonishing to think that there was once even more to look at.