BIBLIOGRAPHY
Reading edition
All the books starred (*) may be consulted in the San Francisco Public Library
There is, unfortunately, no satisfactory book in English on Tapestry and no wholly satisfactory book for the general reader in any language. The following are the most useful and are readily available.
*Candee, Helen Churchill. The Tapestry Book. New York, 1912.
A somewhat superficial and sentimental sketch of the history of tapestry, with almost no interpretation and little indication of the relation of tapestry to the other arts.
DeMotte, G. J. Les Tapisseries gothiques. Paris, 1922.
When complete will contain two hundred large color plates of incomparable beauty and fidelity. Invaluable as a source-book. Will contain probably the majority of important examples of the period.
Guiffrey, J. J. L'Histoire de la Tapisserie. Tours, 1886.
A narrative history, now superseded in a number of respects.
Guiffrey, J. J. L'Histoire de la Tapisserie en France (L'Histoire générale de la Tapisserie). Paris, 1878-85.
A compilation of all the facts available at the time, and still an important fundamental reference work.
Guiffrey, J. J. Les Tapisseries du XIIe à la fin du XVIe Siècle. Paris, n. d.
The most detailed survey of the period, but unfortunately poorly organized. Superbly illustrated.
*Hunter, George Leland. Tapestries: Their Origin, History, and Renaissance. New York, 1912.
An unsystematic assemblage of facts, not all of which are correct, and many of which are irrelevant.
Migeon, Gaston. Les Arts de Tissu (Troisième Partie). Paris, 1909.
A complete and readable account of the history of tapestry, with some excellent interpretations.
Müntz, Eugène. L'Histoire de la Tapisserie en Italie, en Allemagne, etc. (L'Histoire générale de la Tapisserie). Paris, 1878-85.
Similar to Guiffrey's volume in the same series.
Müntz, Eugène. La Tapisserie. Paris, 1883.
A brief presentation of the general history, superseded at some points, but with valuable illuminating interpretations.
Pinchart, A. L'Histoire de la Tapisserie dans les Flandres (L'Histoire générale de la Tapisserie). Paris, 1878-85.
Similar to the other volumes of the same series.
Schmitz, Herman. Bild-Teppiche. Berlin, 1919.
By far the most systematic, scholarly, complete, and informing book yet published on the subject.
*Thomson, W. G. A History of Tapestry. New York, 1906.
A conventional history with useful tables of marks, but limited by being illustrated entirely with examples in England.
*Thomson, W. G. Tapestry Weaving in England. New York, 1914.
The fundamental reference on this aspect of the subject, with full reproduction of documents.
In addition to the above titles, there are a great number of monographs on various phases of the subject, many of which are excellent. For example: Thièry, Les Inscriptions des Tapisseries de Jean Van Room, Louvain, 1907, is an able piece of work, a model of exact scholarship. The majority of these monographs are of interest only to the special student. Schmitz refers to the more important of them in his foot-notes.