Staff at the de Young Museum put the final touches on their installation of the Battle of Pavia Tapestries. Photo: Claire Reilly/Axios
I had the pleasure of getting a peek at the de Young Museum last week as curators and staff installed the final tapestry for their Battle of Pavia Tapestries exhibition.
The seven stunning tapestries, each about the size of a Muni bus, depict scenes from the end of the battle, which occurred almost exactly 500 years ago.
Behind the scenes: The fragile tapestries were winched up and carefully fixed in place along the top. I kept thinking, "I'd never be able to steer a cherry picker that close to a piece of art without crashing!"
My thought bubble: Seeing these tapestries in person was remarkable. Standing back you see their epic scale, but up close you see wonderful details like a woman's pet dog or the way the weavers captured reflections on water.
What they're saying: "Tapestries are pretty rarely seen in America," said de Young assistant curator Jeffrey Fraiman. "This gives them the chance to have their moment."
Stop by: The Battle of Pavia Tapestry exhibition opens on Oct. 19 and runs through Jan. 12. Bay Area residents can visit for free on Saturdays.
For a an up-close look at the installation, check out the video on our Instagram page.
