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The Story of Abraham

Decorative and Craft Objects

The Story of Abraham is a set of ten Brussels tapestries depicting episodes from the life of the biblical patriarch Abraham, designed initially by Bernaert van Orley and completed by Pieter Coecke van Aelst around 1537. One of the three surviving sets was delivered to King Henry VIII of England in 1543 and still hangs in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace, its gilt thread and quality suggesting it was the original weaving among the surviving copies.

Facts
Partially Attested
Year Created
1537 1
Completed around 1537 per the source; the Hampton Court set was delivered in 1543, so the year is approximate.
Location
Great Hall, Hampton Court Palace, near London 1
Connections

In Form

Tapestry, Art Forms

Flemish tapestry cycle woven for Henry VIII, 1540s.

In Movement

Flemish tapestry cycle, 1540s, Northern Renaissance workshop production.

Sources
1. The Story of Abraham (tapestries), Wikipedia
  • Lead paragraph, sentence 2
    They appear to have been designed by Bernaert van Orley initially, but completed by Pieter Coecke van Aelst around 1537
  • Lead paragraph 2, sentence 1
    it now hangs in what was probably the original intended location, the Great Hall in Hampton Court Palace near London.
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