‘Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries’

‘The Battle of Pavia’ tapestries are on display for the first time in America at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.
‘Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries’
Installation view of "Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries," de Young, San Francisco, 2024. Randy Dodson/Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Updated:
0:00
One of the world’s most impressive tapestry series is the group of seven monumental Renaissance panels called “The Battle of Pavia“ tapestries. They were created to commemorate the 1525 victory of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, the most powerful man in his day, over France during the multi-decade Italian Wars.
Today, these tapestries are in the collection of the Capodimonte Museum (Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte) in Naples, Italy. Following a recent restoration, which included cleaning and repairing tears, these famous artworks are making a limited tour of the United States. Currently, they’re on exhibit at the de Young Museum in San Francisco until Jan. 12, 2025; they'll  then journey to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in the spring of 2025.

Romano, the curator, and head of Digitization & Digital Catalogue at Capodimonte Museum, said “they are like the Sistine Chapel of tapestry.”

The installation of "Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries," de Young, San Francisco, 2024. (Randy Dodson/Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)
The installation of "Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries," de Young, San Francisco, 2024. Randy Dodson/Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Each panel measures around 27 feet by 14 feet. They were woven with wool and silk of deeply saturated hues. An extensive amount of gold- and silver-wrapped thread was employed for sumptuous highlights. Given their intricate detailing, iconography, and size,  the tapestries reward careful study. They realistically document the politics, fashion, military technology, and art styles of Renaissance Europe.

‘Raphael of the Netherlands’

"The Sortie of the Besieged Imperial Troops from Pavia, and the Rout of the Swiss Guard," circa 1528–31, designed by Bernard van Orley and woven in the workshop of Willem and Jan Dermoyen. Wool, silk, gold, and silver thread, 165 3/8 inches by 350 inches. Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, Naples. (Courtesy of the Capodimonte Museum)
"The Sortie of the Besieged Imperial Troops from Pavia, and the Rout of the Swiss Guard," circa 1528–31, designed by Bernard van Orley and woven in the workshop of Willem and Jan Dermoyen. Wool, silk, gold, and silver thread, 165 3/8 inches by 350 inches. Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, Naples. Courtesy of the Capodimonte Museum
In the 16th century, tapestries were both status symbols and practical objects. Incredibly time consuming and expensive to produce—more costly than paintings—they provided needed insulation when hung on drafty palace walls. Their preciousness  made them an ideal art form for kings, and their scale allowed the depiction of complex narratives.  
A detail from "The Sortie of the Besieged Imperial Troops from Pavia, and the Rout of the Swiss Guard," circa 1528–31, designed by Bernard van Orley and woven in the workshop of Willem and Jan Dermoyen. (Courtesy of the Capodimonte Museum)
A detail from "The Sortie of the Besieged Imperial Troops from Pavia, and the Rout of the Swiss Guard," circa 1528–31, designed by Bernard van Orley and woven in the workshop of Willem and Jan Dermoyen. Courtesy of the Capodimonte Museum

The Pavia tapestries were designed by the Flemish artist Bernard van Orley (1487–1541). Born in Brussels, he was first trained by his father, a painter, and soon became a court painter himself. He worked for Margaret of Austria, the aunt of Charles V and Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands. In 1530, she died and was succeeded in her post by Mary of Hungary, sister of Charles V, for whom Van Orley continued to work.

Van Orley presided over a large workshop, specializing in portraiture, religious scenes, and stained glass and tapestry design. His contemporaries knew him as the “Raphael of the Netherlands” because he incorporated Italianate figures, forms, and architectural and decorative motifs into the Netherlandish artistic vernacular.

When designing tapestries, artists first created sketches that they developed into presentation models to show to clients. After the design was finalized, the images were made as full-scale paintings as guides for the weavers. Van Orley’s preparatory drawings for the Pavia tapestries are owned by the Louvre and have been lent to the de Young’s exhibition. Its fascinating to see the drawings juxtaposed with the tapestry and observe the changes made with the finished, woven works.

Preparatory drawing of "The Sortie of the Besieged Imperial Troops from Pavia, and the Rout of the Swiss Guard, "circa 1526–1528, by Bernard van Orley. 15 3/16 inches by 29 13/16 inches. Louvre Museum, Paris. René-Gabriel Ojeda/ © GrandPalaisRmn (Louvre Museum)
Preparatory drawing of "The Sortie of the Besieged Imperial Troops from Pavia, and the Rout of the Swiss Guard, "circa 1526–1528, by Bernard van Orley. 15 3/16 inches by 29 13/16 inches. Louvre Museum, Paris. René-Gabriel Ojeda/ © GrandPalaisRmn Louvre Museum
The tapestries were made in van Orley’s hometown, Brussels, a center for tapestry production. It’s estimated that this industry employed thousands of city residents, a figure put into perspective by the fact that just one tapestry panel could merit over a year to fabricate. The Pavia tapestries were woven by the workshop of Willem and Jan Dermoyen; their signature design can be found on the borders of the fourth and seventh tapestries.

Van Orley’s ‘Sistine Chapel of Tapestry’

"The Invasion of the French Camp and the Flight of the Ladies and Servants," circa 1528–31, designed by Bernard van Orley and woven in the workshop of Willem and Jan Dermoyen. Wool, silk, gold, and silver thread; 171 5/8 imches by 322 inches. Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, Naples. (Courtesy of the Capodimonte Museum)
"The Invasion of the French Camp and the Flight of the Ladies and Servants," circa 1528–31, designed by Bernard van Orley and woven in the workshop of Willem and Jan Dermoyen. Wool, silk, gold, and silver thread; 171 5/8 imches by 322 inches. Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, Naples. Courtesy of the Capodimonte Museum

The Pavia tapestries were gifted to Charles V in 1531 by the States General (Netherlands’ legislature) at the Royal Palace Brussels. The decisive victory of the imperial army that the series commemorates had occurred only six years earlier, on Feb. 24, 1525, in the town of Pavia, Italy, about 20 miles south of Milan.

Van Orley’s designs must have been coordinated closely with Charles and his court, because some of the famous figures in the tapestries are portraits. An example of this is the representation of Fernando Francesco d’Avalos, Marquis of Pescara, a Neapolitan and commander of Charles’s army. The Battle of Pavia pitted Charles’s Habsburg army that included Spanish and Burgundian troops and German mercenaries against French soldiers supported by Swiss mercenaries.

A detail of Fernando Francesco d’Avalos, Marquis of Pescara from the "Defeat of the French Cavalry and the Imperial Infantry Seize the Enemy Artillery" tapestry. (Randy Dodson/Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)
A detail of Fernando Francesco d’Avalos, Marquis of Pescara from the "Defeat of the French Cavalry and the Imperial Infantry Seize the Enemy Artillery" tapestry. Randy Dodson/Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

The intense fighting scenes depict almost life-sized figures and horses during the battle’s key defensive and offensive moments, which lasted only a few hours. Amid the arms and armor of the troops, there are flourishes of sumptuous velvets and feathers worn by high-ranking officers. The different sides and subgroups within each army are identifiable by their costumes and the flags they carry. They’re set within a meticulously detailed landscape, showing Pavia with its towers, churches, and city wall surrounded by countryside.

A detail from "The Capture of Francis I," tapestry panel. (Randy Dodson/Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)
A detail from "The Capture of Francis I," tapestry panel. Randy Dodson/Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

The key to the imperial army’s victory was the use of barrel-loaded long guns, specifically arquebuses, a new weapon at the time. The mobility of these firearms was strategically advantageous, and the armor of the French soldiers could not withstand their firing. In addition, warriors on horseback were highly susceptible. The detail of “The Capture of Francis I” panel shows the death of his horse: This led to the French king being surrounded and caught by Charles V’s army.

To provide greater context for the tapestries, the exhibition’s curators have included a selection of arms and armor in the presentation. The objects are drawn from the Capodimonte’s preeminent Farnese Armory and feature intricately designed and decorated swords, firearms (including an arquebus), helmets, and suits of armor, which in the early 16th century weighed between 66 and 77 pounds.

Installation view of "Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries," de Young, San Francisco, 2024. (Randy Dodson/Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)
Installation view of "Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries," de Young, San Francisco, 2024. Randy Dodson/Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Charles V, who continuously traveled throughout his lands, left the Pavia tapestries in Brussels with Mary of Hungary. She kept them and later left them to a relative, who bequeathed them to the Neapolitan d’Avalos family. This was a fitting gift, as their ancestor had been an integral part of the victory. The panels remained in this family until 1862, when the last descendant donated their extensive art collection to Naples’s national museum. The tapestries have been on view at the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte since 1957.

It’s astonishing that these tapestries have survived in such good condition for almost 500 years. Many other important Renaissance tapestry series weren’t so lucky. The artistry of the Pavia tapestries is so rich that visitors can find a new detail with every viewing. The sheer theatricality of the scenes thrust the viewer into battle, facilitating an immersive experience. What a treat to be able to experience them, for a limited time, in the United States.

Details from "The Invasion of the French Camp and the Flight of the Ladies and Servants," circa 1528–31, designed by Bernard van Orley and woven in the workshop of Willem and Jan Dermoyen. (Randy Dodson/Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)
Details from "The Invasion of the French Camp and the Flight of the Ladies and Servants," circa 1528–31, designed by Bernard van Orley and woven in the workshop of Willem and Jan Dermoyen. Randy Dodson/Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
“Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries” is on view until January 12, 2025 at the de Young in San Francisco. To learn more, visit famsf.org
What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to [email protected]
Michelle Plastrik
Michelle Plastrik
Author
Michelle Plastrik is an art adviser living in New York City. She writes on a range of topics, including art history, the art market, museums, art fairs, and special exhibitions.