Nautical Tapestries Maritime Art

There is a wonderful selection of Nautical Tapestries available. Maritime Art has always been popular with Tapestry collectors. Probably, because we have always had a sublime affinity with the sea. For centuries, the explorers and travelers among us have taken to the open seas, sailing countless miles across the oceans. Something which has inspired respect and admiration among us all. Not just Artists and Tapestry collectors. Ancient Sailors had an arduous task, they did not depend upon electronic navigational systems. Instead, they would use the sun and the stars, taking note of ocean currents and weather patterns to find their way. An incredible feat, by any standards. The imagery and intrigue of ancient maritime life, which was a time of great battles, fearless explorers and skilled sailors, has influenced many Artists, throughout history.

Nautical Tapestries reflect the inspiration, and captured imagination, of those times past. Maritime Art reflects our long term relationship with the ocean, and intrigue with distant shores. Nautical Tapestries have an authenticity many collectors adore, and reflect a part of history that will always appeal to our imagination. This is what, essentially, makes Nautical Tapestries so memorable, and, without doubt, so collectable. Maritime Art sustains the inherent need many of us have, to envision the world. Not as it is experienced today, but as it was then. Nautical Tapestries feed our curiosity and enliven our imagination. They also make a wonderful, decorative addition to our home.

Francesco Lazzaro Guardi was an Italian painter. He is thought to be among the last professional Artists of the famous, Venetian School of Painting. Guardi was born in Venice, in 1712. His father was a Painter, as were his brothers. The family originated from Tretino, where, in 1643, Ferdinand III had given the Guardi’s a ‘Patent of Nobility’. Nevertheless, Francesco would live his life in virtual poverty, as a highly proficient, and working Artist. His work was never produced specifically for Tapestry. During the early years, while working in his brother’s studios, Francesco Guardi produced highly classical Artworks. The subject matter was, mostly, landscape and figurative, primarily, for Altar Pieces and historical depictions. It would be his later work, in which he would capture the city of Venice, and specifically, the harbor, for which he would become most famed. It is this work, with is Maritime aura, which is, most often, produced as Tapestry Art.

Guardi was commissioned by the government to record Venetian festivities and events. Often, he would paint views of the harbor, and it is those, Maritime Art works, which have become highly favored by Tapestry collectors. Gaurdi’s work is often referred to as ‘Vedute’. Generally, this describes factual paintings of towns, or cities. Nevertheless, Guardi’s later work was in the style of ‘Pittura di tocco’, which means, translated, ‘Touch Painting’. This was not common in his day, for it was (comparatively) high spirited. Being much looser and less controlled than more traditional, classic Artistic styles. ‘Piturra di tocco’ describes the way Guardi applied the paint, in a combination of small dots and brisk strokes. A style which particularly suits and translates well into modern Tapestry Art.

Guardi’s work was admired by the early French Impressionists, his Art reflecting both the pointillist and impressionist styles. Therefore, even today, his work, and the Tapestries produced from them, have a relatively modern feel. Making these Tapestries, with their perfect balance between the past and present, suitable for just about every style of home. Mercanti Veneziani is a perfect example of his work, and a wonderful reflection of seventeenth century Maritime Art. If Nautical Tapestries are of interest to you, this would, most certainly, be a most apt addition to your collection.

Nautical Tapestries also make fabulous gifts, especially for those who are interested in Maritime History. Tapestry Art is something that is long standing, it can be cherished and admired for many years to come. Tapestries are a highly valued commodity, and can be passed on from one generation to another. Nautical Tapestries can provide an equally stimulating focal point, visually, as they can for interesting conversation. There is little doubt, a Tapestry Wall Hanging, depicting the famous Mercanti Veneziani, could not fail to provoke your imagination; by recounting the famous world of ‘The Merchants of Venice’, through the eyes of a true masters of ‘Verdute’.

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