Once Upon a Tapestry: Woven Tales of Helen and Dido

Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena

NOW CLOSED

Death of Dido (detaill c. 1658–70s), Antwerp, Workshop of Michel Wauters, after cartoons by Giovanni Francesco Romanelli. Norton Simon Art Foundation

Helen of Troy and Dido of Carthage were popular subjects among tapestry designers in Renaissance Europe, as this exhibition shows. The display, drawn from the holdings of the Norton Simon Art Foundation, includes five tapestries – one, the Death of Dido, recently restored – and six full-scale cartoons. Find out more about ‘Once Upon a Tapestry’ from the Norton Simon Museum’s website.

Preview the exhibition below | See Apollo’s Picks of the Week here

The Death of Dido (c. 1630-35), Giovanni Francesco Romanelli. Norton Simon Art Foundation

The Death of Dido (c. 1630–35), Giovanni Francesco Romanelli. Norton Simon Art Foundation

Royal Hunt and Storm (c. 1630-35), Giovanni Francesco Romanelli. Norton Simon Art Foundation

Royal Hunt and Storm (c. 1630–35), Giovanni Francesco Romanelli. Norton Simon Art Foundation

Aeneas Leaving Dido (c. 1630-35), Giovanni Francesco Romanelli. Norton Simon Art Foundation

Aeneas Leaving Dido (c. 1630–35), Giovanni Francesco Romanelli. Norton Simon Art Foundation

Arrival of Paris and Helen at the Court of Priam, King of Troy (c. 1500-25), Brussels, workshop unknown. Norton Simon Art Foundation

Arrival of Paris and Helen at the Court of Priam, King of Troy (c. 1500–25), Brussels, workshop unknown. Norton Simon Art Foundation

Death of Dido (c. 1658-70s), Antwerp, Workshop of Michel Wauters, after cartoons by Giovanni Francesco Romanelli. Norton Simon Art Foundation

Death of Dido (c. 1658–70s), Antwerp, Workshop of Michel Wauters, after cartoons by Giovanni Francesco Romanelli. Norton Simon Art Foundation