정치적 텍스트로서 발루와 태피스트리

Abstract

This paper analyzes the Valois Tapestry as a political text produced in Flanders by the order of the 1580’s French Court. To design this tapestry, Antone Caron was commissioned in 1574. He completed the design in 1589, during the time of Henry III, King of France (reigned 1574-1589). France at the time was in the middle of the Huguenots Wars (1561-1589). In 1589, the year of changing dynasties, Henry de Bourbon took the place of the new King of France and became Henry IV. Previous studies have interpreted this work saying that Catherine de Medici, known as the commissioner of the work, wanted to reveal the ‘politique Magnificence’ of the Valois dynasty using ‘Festival.’ But that is because Caron’s design was changed into cartoon by Lacas de Heered of Ghent, and as a result, a portrait of aristocrats was drawn on the whole picture that was not included in Caron’s original design. This paper also analyzed the festival represented in the tapestry by dividing the tapestry into the following 3 sections: (1) Combat: <Tournament> <Quintain> <Barriers> (2) Fête : <Fontainbleau> <Bayonne> <Tuileries> (3) Procession : <Masquerade of Elephant> <Journey>. As a result, we found out that the image of the King of the Valois dynasty was drawn neither at the same time nor place as the time or place that the festival occurred in history. Therefore, King Valois is not in the portrait of the picture, which was never a part of the center of the commissioned design. The magnificence and spectacle of the festival represented in the tapestry seem like a mask meant to masquerade the weakness of the kingship. All in all, the Valois Tapestry exposes the weakness of the Valois dynasty, thereby cleverly and critically representing the French Court of the times, dominated by powerful aristocrats.