Hanging a Very Large Tapestry (with Inches to Spare!)
The most challenging textile to install in the Truth and Beauty exhibition was The Combat of the Vices and Virtues, woven in Brussels between 1510 and 1515, and one of four tapestries from the Redemption of Man series that are part of the Fine Arts Museums’ permanent collection. It is the largest and oldest textile in the show, measuring 318 inches (26 1/2 feet) long, by 164 1/2 inches (13 3/4 feet) tall—and one of the largest overall, as the Redemption series is the largest tapestry set in the collection.
Hanging a textile this large is always an exercise in carefulness and coordination, and requires many hands. It is also something that our staff has had a lot of practice with over the years, and we have developed a smooth installation technique using pulleys. However, in this instance, the limited height of the room and composition of the ceiling—which negated the possibility of using a pulley system to hoist the tapestry in place—required us to develop a new installation plan.
This was a significant undertaking, which required months of preparation and collaboration across many departments within the museum. Curators, conservators, art preparators, and the exhibition designer were all involved in the planning process to ensure the tapestry could be displayed safely while fitting into the overall visual design for the show.
We first needed to confirm that the tapestry would fit on the wall, so obtaining accurate measurements was crucial during the planning process. We knew there was a total of 167 inches from floor to ceiling—so the tapestry was taken from storage and unrolled, allowing us to take multiple measurements. With a maximum height of 164 1/2 inches, the tapestry would just fit.