ORLEY, Bernaert van
(b. 1491/92, Bruxelles, d. 1542, Bruxelles)

November

1531-33
Tapestry
Musée du Louvre, Paris

This tapestry is from the series of The Hunts of Maximilian. Praising hunting as the sport of the noblemen, the tapestries recorded the preparation for the hunt, the setting out, the hunt itself and the feast, according to the twelve months of the year. The tapestries were woven after the design by Bernaert van Orley in the Brussels workshop of Jan and Willem Dermoyen between 1531 and 1533.

Karel van Mander praised Van Orley mainly for his work as a tapestry designer. The artist enjoyed the most success in this area since he fundamentally transformed the art of Flemish tapestry. In contrast with the earlier, planar, static and overcrowded wall carpets, he designed spacious, perspectival compositions with dynamic figures defined by joint activities.