The Royal Palace of Madrid,
has a special exhibit,
honoring the 400th anniversary of the death of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of, “The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha.”
These tapestries were commissioned by Phillip V who lived from 1683-1746,
and depict in detail the life and adventures of Don Quixote.
I included a close-up so you could see the intricate stitch detail in these remarkable tapestries.
They were woven sometime in the early 1700’s by the Madrid Tapestry Factory which was founded by King Phillip V. Goya worked for a time in this factory creating designs.
Cheers to you in honor of Don Quixote who taught us so much about the subjective nature of our perceptions~
I have a weak spot for tapestries. We have a unicorn in the living room 🙂
Oh me too! If I were extraordinarily wealthy my house would be full of old tapestries.
Your hits keep coming, please keep enjoying vacations. Thank you.
Reblogged this on necltr and commented:
Travel helps one grow, even when someone else does it for onem
Oh such a perceptive and thoughtful comment! Thank you!
I wonder who sewed all those stitches.
I’m guessing, servant women who were super talented needle-workers…..
Room and board for pay, no doubt. It’s fascinating.
So beautiful, Cindy…Thank you sharing 🙂
Thank you more for appreciating my friend~ <3
How could I not Cindy, such beautiful work and colours 🙂
<3 <3
>>> “… the subjective nature of our perceptions”
Indeed, simply incredible!
I thought so too! Glad you agree~
Amazing
Truly is!
Wow, exquisite tapestries and photography! 🙂 <3
Awww, I love my blogging friends~ <3
We love your photo shows. <3
Beautiful tapestries
Yes, incredible artistic detail! So glad you enjoyed~
Yes I did
Totally awesome!
Awww, so happy you think so!
I love tapestries! And these are gorgeous! 🙂 <3
I agree with you wholeheartedly on both points Natalie!
👍😊❤️
Beautiful
Muchos gracias!
Very nice. They seem to be very well lit for old tapestries, was it really like that?
They were essentially outside, under a well covered loggia in a central courtyard so there was natural outdoor lighting, while at the the same time protection for the tapestries. This explains the unusual lighting which you are perceptive to notice. It is a temporarary exhibit, and I would imagine the tapestries are stored safely normally which might explain their preserved state.
They are gorgeous!
They really are!
Reblogged this on Tribalmystic stories and commented:
This intricate tales in tapestry and such a beautiful collection. Thank you Cindy.
Ahhh, thank you my friend and so pleased they resonated with you~
I need to go to Madrid to see these for myself — the impact of your photos Cindy! 🤔
Awwww, I am humbed and touched. Thank you~
The Indians speak of Maya: the subjective perception of the world, or … all world is subjective perception.
When the last man closes his eyes, this world will have vanished…
Thanks for the pictures of these wonderful works, Cindy.
Oh I love this! Yes, I am a retired psycotherapist. If more people realized how subjective their perceptions are, we would have a more peaceful world with less polarization. People would also be more able to widen their perspectives and see more of this incredible world. Human perception is fascinating and at times quite troubling~
Just wow! These are so exquisite Cindy. A close friend of mine has always been compared to Don Quixote by his parents. I’ll have to show these to him as I’m sure they’ll hold a lot of meaning for him. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Quixote is such psychologically brilliant literature. Please tell your friend that I think he should be honored by the comparison~ <3
Absolutely love these – invested in an old Dutch village scene tapestry some 20 years ago and still marvel at it even if I look at it every day – Thanks for sharing these Cindy <3
I have a longstanding love of Dutch/Flemist tapestry. You are fortunate indeed and I would love to see your tapestry~ <3
Can take a photo and email – it hangs in the main hallway in my house 🙂
Amazing!
Liebe Gruesse Monika
Vielen dank mein lieber Freund Monika~
Beautiful works from the past and they also tell stories of the life then too.
They do so beautifully don’t they. I love the glimpse they give into everyday life~
My favorite .
Awwww, muchos gracias!
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
Yep. That sums them up! Thank you John & Happy Saturday~
Don Quixote and his impossible dream. I spent 8 years studying Spanish, and this was always a favorite topic. I’ve never seen this, and it is exquisitely beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing. 💕 You always take us there.
Oh, I am humbled and honored by your thougthful comment. I am so pleased we can travel together~
Such exquisite detail — thanks for sharing them here, Cindy! It was easy for the music to play in my head when I was looking at these tapestries!
How delightful and thank you being such a lovely blogging friend Debbie~ <3
Glorious…thanks so much for sharing Cindy!
Thank you more for the kind appreciation~ <3
🙂
So beautiful…a treat for the eyes!
There were so many of them that I couldn’t include. They really covered the high points of the entire tale. So pleased you enjoyed~
Loved it!
What gorgeous tapestries, Cindy. I have a large one I did many years ago and I have an enormous one I bought for my mother to do. (hoping she would live to finish it) Alas I now have this huge unfinished tapestry left to do. They were both purchased in France.
Leslie
Oh how remarkable you completed a large one, and might finish an enormous one. Might you be persuaded to do a post including both of them? I would be fascinated to see both the finished product and the one in-process. Please alert me if you do, so I don’t miss it!
Cindy, I’ll post the finished one but the other one won’t be finished in my life time. However, I’ll post the unfinished one too as well because it is so lovely.
Leslie
Wow! So amazing, Cindy.
Yes. Exactly my thoughts~
That is a beautiful and intricate design seen woven in the cloth. And such detail in all of them.
They covered a very long hallway and had all the major scenes~
Thank you Cindy. I love your work. I don’t like travel my self, but it sure is nice to see what you see.
I so love having you along with me! Thanks you my friend and be well~
Spectacular Cindy!! One of my favourite lines from Don Quixote is:”The most perceptive character in a play is the fool, because the man who wishes to seem simple cannot possibly be a simpleton.” Hugs, my dear friend.
Laughing, so brilliant and so true! Love Cervantes and Don Quixote!
Beautiful tapestries!
Aren’t they incredible! So glad you like them too~
I remember my mom had a tapestry and I wished I had it. They are fantastic works of art
I wish you did too and I agree with you!
I could stay there for hours staring at these tapestries. Such a beauty!
Yes, I know the feeling. It is incredible.
You must be travelling all the year …. 🙂
I wish! I’ve been home at The Holler since late May. I just have photos still to post.
May is not sooooo far away 🙂
True. I was thinking my life consists of trips and lulls. This is the lull. Lulls are good, but require adjustment! 😉 😉
Nicely caught and beautifully preserved tapestry. I wonder how much these days would last that long. 🙂
Or be worth lasing that long. We live in a disposable world. We will leave freeways and nuclear waste. They will last. Sad, isn’t it.
Oh well, there is always a sunrise and cold orange juice.
Those are truly superb tapestries! Are you also reminded of the old Carole King album whenever you think of “tapestry”? 😉
I could never do intricate works like tapestries and needlepoint. I have no patience (as well as no eyesight on my advancing age). LOL!
I hear you! I used to do needlepoint long ago, and I collect vintage embroidery. I admire the art form immensely but there is no way I could create a tapestry. I am so glad that artistic people still do!
These are incredible, Cindy. Great shots and terrific post.
Awww, so kind and so appreciated! Thank you~
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
I have always enjoyed tapistry and have several around the house but nothing can compare to these stunning examples in The Royal Palace of Madrid.. which is by the way a wonderful place to visit and its gardens are beautiful.. thanks to Cindy for these depictions of the life of Don Quixote..
Thanks to you Sally for being such an awesome blogger and wonderful blogging friend! <3 <3
Very easy when you produce such stunning images Cindy.. xx
Abrazos~
The colours are astonishing for their age…let alone the artistry and detail.
Yes, I am more accoustomed to Flemish Tapestry which I think is beautiful, but it is more muted in coloring. Spain, Portugal, Italy and Scandinavia tend to go for COLOR which is strikiing!
Hard to choose… the Flemish is gentler, but the detail brought out by the colour has its own merits.
Exactly, two different expression of beauty~
They are amazing!
Alison
Yes! So pleased you like them Alison and hope all is well with you~ <3
Been there, you kidding me you have come to my “turf”, you could have taken some pictures of me, I´m way better looking than those paintings
Laughing, I am impressed with your self confidence! 😉 😉
Hey, I´m the Kiiiiiiing!
Beautiful tapestries, Cindy. Thanks for sharing. 🙂 — Suzanne
Thank you more for appreciating!
You are my gift every Sunday, Cindy. Thank you!
Awwww, and your thoughtful comments are mine! <3 <3
Wow. Wow. WOW. Such intricate work and from 1700s.
Fabulous photography, Cindy. Thank YOU for sharing. 🙂 <3 <3
Thank you much more for such kind thoughts an comments! Be well my friend~
You are welcome. I am well and share it with you. Thank YOU. 🙂
<3 <3
Great story. I borrowed the text from the library about 20 years ago, having “known” many of the tales, but never having read it, and read it out loud… the only way to process poetry and understand the tradition of oral story telling since before Homer.
Oscar
Interesting. Auditory learning. I am more of a visual learner, but this sounds like it would be wonderful~
Beautiful as always Cindy. However, to see them up close must be such a treat! xx
It was an exhibit called, “Cervantes at the Palace.” Must be nice to be a king or queen!
The exhibit yes. Royalty no! I am way to much the introvert for life in the goldfish bowl… xxx
Thank you, Cindy for the close up images allowing us to see the details! I can see the facial expressions clearly. They are so well preserved.
The facial expressions are what struck me the most. How on earth could this be done with a needle and thread? Remarkable!
Awesome! Amazing tapestries 🙂
That’s what I thought! Cheers to you and the wolf child~ <3
What a treat! The colors are still so vivid…hundreds of years later. I am enjoying seeing Europe through your eyes. 🙂
Makes me happy I posted! Cheers to you and thank you too~
How incredibly vivid the tapestry colors are and what exquisitely detailed faces! I can only gasp in amazement at the skill of the embroiderers.
I know, the faces blow me away. How could they capture emotions in stichery? I don’t know, but they did, and it is remarkable.
If BTW u going Barcelona or any other city in Spain or Paris, let me know!
Nice to see that retirement can be lived so happy and making happy others (us).
Thanks for sharing u discovers.
Ahhh, what a lovely comment. Just got back from Spain, but lots of travel on the horizon. Your blog is an inspiration. Thank you & cheers too~
I Love tapestries. Beautiful images. Thanks, Cindy!
I do too and I am pleased you enjoyed these! Cheers to you Olga~
Incredible tapestry!! I can’t even imagine what my eyesight would be after weaving even one of these. Just beautiful!
And your fingers. I envision teams of female servants laboring 12 hours a day on these which is not a very pleasant image~
Oh yes!! Fingers too. What we endure for beauty..
Tapestry are awesome!
They are incredible~
Hello Cindy
I wish you a wonderful new week.
Same to you Marko~
Bonitos tapices. Impresiona la calidad de estos trabajos. Un abrazo Cindy. 🙂
Gracias mi amiga y abrazos y besos~
Seeing this makes me miss Madrid. When I lived there I visited the Palace quite often. Did you visit the Cathedral too? View from the top of the towers is amazing!! Thanks for posting.
Oh yes! It was gorgeous! It must have been wonderful to live in the city~
Yes, it certainly was! It was also great as I had easier access to all of the EU from there. It was easy to just take a trip away, move about and see new places. I really enjoyed my time abroad! Thanks for posting Cindy 🙂
Incredible!
The artistry is indeed incredible~
WOW! I really wished to have this one… so beautiful, so beautiful. Thank you, Love, nia
Thank you more for your kind appreciation and cheers to you my friend~
I wish I had been there with you…a very gorgeous creation! Thanks for sharing such a beauty! Hugs!
I would have loved you to be there Wendell. The cathedral would have moved you greatly. Be well my friend~
toll, liebe Cindy, schönen Tag wünsche ich dir
Haben Sie eine wunderbare Woche und danke mein Freund.
Stunning work. Just to think that it was all done by hand. That must have taken forever.
And such intricate detailed work too. It is amazing.
The artistry in the weaving, the skill, patience, and the color… yadadada……etc. I’ve always been amazed by tapistries, Cindy. In many ways, the skill in producing a great one equals or exceeds many of the grand masters in painting. These are beautiful. Hugs, Cuz !
Yes, because paint you can brush on, each stich here involves such detail. I have no idea how they captured the emotions on people’s faces with thread. It is remarkable.
Love it! I have a Dali of Don Quixote. His story fascinates me.
I have seen some of his etching lithographs of Quixote. They are wonderful. The story fascinates me too, it has so many layers, just like people~
Fantastic photos of great works of art! Thank you for sharing, Cindy.
Painting with thread! Thank you, Cindy! :star: :star:
Amazing isn’t it & cheers to you Resa~
Cindy, you won’t believe this, but why would I make this up? I was singing, “I am I, Don Quixote, Man of la Mancha!” I was in my own little world singing while picking automobile parts and putting them into bins to send out to Advance Auto stores. It was a hot, humid warehouse day so I pictured my Spring break trip with Spanish Club and started singing.
Your tapestry photographs are truly blessings and made me really smile. Thank you, dear! Hugs, Robin
That is synchronicity! Maybe it means a trip to Spain is in your future Robin! Cheers to you my friend and thanks for making me smile~ <3
So glad to give you a smile, since your posts bring me joy, Cindy. The tapestry’s details were gorgeous and such time consuming stitching, nearly impossible to picture completing this insurmountable task. It has been since 1974, that I went to Spain and Portugal. xo <3
Reblogged this on penpowersong.
With gratitude to my friend~ <3
The tapestries are amazing. The are truly works of art..
I agree with you! They are exceptional~
I was going through all of your posts and they all were so beautiful and admirable. 🙂
This is so very kind of you and most appreciated too! Thank you~
Great tapestries!
Gald you like them Kendall~
I do!
Cindy: Thank you for sharing these. I love them. And not just because, as a teenager, I very much identified with Don Quixote! The tapestries are beautiful.
You must have been a wonderful teenager! <3
Rebellious contrarian, tilting at everything that looked like a windmill.
Yes, which makes him wonderful indeed!
Love the detailed work– brilliant photos (again!) Cindy!
Awww, you are very thougtful and most appreciated Rhonda! Thank you~
So fun to get in on your travels!!!
I love the story with Don Quixote. And I love these tapestries. They are amazing pieces of art.
xoxo Cindy <3
Yes, this is exactly how I felt when I saw them. Be well my friend and Happy Sunday~ <3
I missed your posts when I was out of blogging, Cindy <3
I am just glad you are back and be well my friend~
These tapestries are astounding! The detail, color, and oh so many. I liked that you included a close-up for the detail, too. Wonderful, Cindy — thank you.
The top pic4 looks like “The Molinos De Mallorca, Costa Brava” 😉
I was in Mallorca recently and posted about it and I didn’t remember any windmills. But I googled it and now see. Fascinating!
Exquisite work. You’d need good eye-sight to do all that fine weaving.
And lots of hand-eye co-ordination!
Lovely works of art captured! Thanks for sharing, Cindy! 😃
Thank you for your kind appreciation!
the facial expressions are amazing, indeed! such patience…I wonder how many hands stiched these?! …there is such beauty in the thought of the care and patience in creating these tapestries…Thank you for sharing, Cindy!