Andromache and Priam Urging Hector Not to Go to War (from Scenes from the Story of the Trojan War) 1470 - 1490

This wool and silk tapestry, made in Tournai under the direction of Pasquier Grenier around 1470, visualizes a scene from the Trojan War. But we can understand it best by recognizing it as a product of its own time, the late medieval period, and its own place, the Burgundian Netherlands. The imagery, like the legend of Troy itself, would have been deeply familiar to wealthy audiences. Tapestries of this scale were luxury goods. The court of Burgundy invested heavily in the production of tapestries, which served both to decorate their residences and project an image of power and sophistication. The figures are dressed in contemporary fashion, and the scene is framed by architecture that evokes the urban landscape of the Netherlands. This tapestry doesn't just illustrate a story; it translates it into the visual language of its own culture. To understand this tapestry fully, we need to consider the economic systems that supported its production, the political ambitions it served, and the artistic traditions it drew upon. Only then can we appreciate its complex role as both a work of art and a historical artifact.