Brussels wandkleed met de oversteek door de Rode Zee naar ontwerp van Rafaël before 1887

Editor: Here we have an engraving of a Brussels tapestry made before 1887, depicting Raphael's design of the Crossing of the Red Sea. The intricacy is remarkable, but the figures seem quite turbulent, caught in a swirl. What historical lens might shed some light on this piece? Curator: Indeed. The power of this image isn’t just in its aesthetic qualities, but how it functions within the context of papal authority. These tapestries, initially commissioned by Pope Leo X for the Sistine Chapel, weren't simply decorative; they visually asserted the Church's power by connecting it to the divine narrative of the Old Testament. Does that idea resonate when you look at it? Editor: It does, especially knowing they hung in the Vatican. Did the tapestries themselves influence how the Church was viewed, or was it the other way around? Curator: It’s cyclical. Raphael’s design, rendered through a luxurious medium like tapestry, elevates the status of the papacy through associations of wealth, power, and artistic patronage. Consider the Renaissance popes as major players, consolidating not only spiritual power, but secular power too. Displaying biblical scenes, specifically one highlighting deliverance and triumph, reinforced their legitimacy. Who do you think they wanted to convince? Editor: Possibly wavering believers? Or rivals of the papacy? The scale of the work suggests it aimed for impact, sending a clear message. Curator: Precisely. These weren't private devotional objects, they were strategic displays of authority operating in the public eye. It reveals so much about how art can be politically charged. Editor: That gives me a fresh way to view tapestries beyond decoration. I will remember that art plays an important role in reinforcing societal power.