bavarikon4UWirkteppich, Ottheinrichs Pilgerfahrt ins Heilige Land: Die Abfahrt aus Jaffa
Description
Alongside several travel journals, two huge handwoven tapestries document the pilgrimage undertaken by the young Count Palatine Ottheinrich (1502 – 1559) of Neuburg together with his tutor, eight knights and several servants to the Holy Land in 1521. Dated at 1541, the tapestries were designed by the painter Mathis Gerung (1500 – 1570) and produced in the tapestry workshop maintained by Ottheinrich at his seat, Neuburg, from 1540 to 1544 under the Flemish weaver Christian de Roy. The left-hand tapestry, which is currently held at the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (Bavarian National Museum) shows the City of Jerusalem. The Neuburg tapestry, which once formed the right half, depicts the port of Jaffa and numerous holy sites, identified in captions. Two different eras merge here in one space: biblical and historical events centred on the life and Passion of Christ in ancient times, and the travellers' pilgrimage in 1521. One sign that the stages on the journey were closely based on Ottheinrich's journal is that JAFFA appears twice: the tapestry depicts the port city both as the place where the group of pilgrims berthed in a Venetian trading ship and their place of departure.
Author
Dr. Margit Vonhof-Habermayr, Historischer Verein Neuburg an der Donau