In France, the leading tapestry works were at Tours in the early sixteenth century.  A Flemish weaver, Jean Duval, started the work there in 1540.  Until 1552 he and his three sons laboured together with great results, and they left a large number of craftsmen to follow in their footsteps.

In Italy the art had almost died out in the early sixteenth century, but revived in full and florid force under the Raphaelesque influence.

King Rene of Anjou collected tapestries so assiduously that the care and repairing of them occupied the whole time of a staff of workers, who were employed steadily, living in the palace, and sleeping at night in the various apartments in which the hangings were especially costly.

Queen Jeanne, the mother of Henri IV., was a skilled worker in tapestry.  To quote Miss Freer in the Life of Jeanne d’Albret, “During the hours which the queen allowed herself for relaxation, she worked tapestry and discoursed with some one of the learned men whom she protected.”  This queen was of an active mental calibre and one to whom physical repose was most repugnant.  She was a regular and pious attendant at church, but sitting still was torture to her, and listening to the droning sermons put her to sleep.  So, with a courage to be admired, Jeanne “demanded permission from the Synod to work tapestry during the sermon.  This request was granted; from thenceforth Queen Jeanne, bending decorously over her tapestry frame, and busy with her needle, gave due attention.”

The Chateau of Blois, during the reign of Louis XII. and Ann of Brittany, is described as being regally appointed with tapestries:  “Those which were hung in the apartments of the king and queen,” says the chronicler, “were all full of gold; and the tapestries and embroideries of cloth of gold and of silk had others beneath them ornamented with personages and histories as those were above.  Indeed, there was so great a number of rich tapestries, velvet carpets, and bed coverings, of gold and silk, that there was not a chamber, hall, or wardrobe, that was not full.”

In an inventory of the Princess of Burgundy there occurs this curious description of a tapestry:  “The three tapestries of the Church Militant, wrought in gold, whereon may be seen represented God Almighty seated in majesty, and around him many cardinals, and below him many princes who present to him a church.”

Household luxury in England is indicated by a quaint writer in 1586:  “In noblemen’s houses,” he says, “it is not rare to see abundance of arras, rich hangings, of tapestrie...  Turkie wood, pewter, brasse, and fine linen....  In times past the costly furniture stayed there, whereas now it is discarded yet lower, even unto the inferior artificers, and many farmers... have for the most part learned to garnish their beds with tapestries and hangings, and their tables with carpetts and fine napery.”