Habsburg Treasures: Renaissance Tapestries from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

The tapestry collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria, is renowned as one of the most important in the world. This once-in-a-lifetime exhibition treats one of the most beloved themes in the Flemish weaver’s repertoire: scenes from the legendary founding of Rome by twin brothers Romulus and Remus.

For centuries, tapestry was the most fashionable art form among the European elite—far more costly and prestigious than painting or sculpture, and prized as a symbol of family wealth, rank, and power. Beyond its exquisite beauty, a well-made tapestry served a number of practical uses: to the cold interiors of castles it brought needed insulation as well as vibrant color; and in times of war it could be taken on campaigns to serve as a rallying banner. Most tapestries incorporated, in their gold- and silver-laced weaves, heroic tableaux from history and myth that were intended to promote their owners’ illustrious pedigrees. For the House of Habsburg, the story of Romulus and Remus (and the founding of Rome) served as mythic analog for the Habsburgs’ centuries-long occupancy of the throne of the Holy Roman Empire.

Richly woven from silk, wool, and gold and silver thread, the eight tapestries in the exhibition come from two different series: six from the Brussels atelier of Frans Geubels, and two from the bequest of King Francis I (1708-1765). The latter series presents the story of the twin founders in a similar composition. Together, these eight newly-restored tapestries narrate the familiar story and provide spectacular examples of Brussels tapestry production in the 16th and 17th centuries.