Tapestry Works - Mortlake

The Mortlake Tapestry Works was founded in 1619 by Sir Francis Crane on the banks of the River Thames in Mortlake, now in southwest London. King James I came up with the idea, and Crane managed the operation, recruiting skilled Flemish weavers, mainly from Brussels, where tapestry weaving was a major industry. Around 50 weavers were brought over secretly, and Crane arranged for some to be naturalized. Boys from orphanages in London were also trained as apprentices.

The workshop was set up on land once owned by the famous mathematician John Dee. Early on, the factory focused on replicating designs from Henry VIII’s collection but updated them with modern borders. When Charles I became king, his financial backing and the arrival of designer Francis Cleyn boosted the works. However, after Crane died in 1637, the workshop struggled under his brother, eventually being sold to the Crown.

Despite the English Civil War challenges, the Mortlake workshop continued producing tapestries. Under the Commonwealth, the workshop received some support, and under Charles II, it enjoyed a brief resurgence. By the time the factory closed in 1704, it had created some of the finest tapestries in England, renowned for depicting natural textures like water and flesh. Many of these tapestries can still be seen in museums and country houses today, including St James’s Palace and Hampton Court Palace.

One of the most famous Mortlake works was a set of tapestries based on the Raphael Cartoons, initially designed for the Sistine Chapel. These tapestries, among others, ended up in collections across Europe, with several sets now in places like Forde Abbey, Chatsworth House, and Dresden’s Gemäldegalerie. Other notable pieces include a series illustrating the tragic love story of Hero and Leander, now displayed at the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Merseyside, and a set known as *The Horses*, which can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Though the workshop eventually closed, its legacy endures through these magnificent works of art, treasured in collections worldwide.