Carpets in Western Europe During the Renaissance

Links to photos of extant 15th-17th century carpets, as well as depictions of carpets in 15th and 16th century artwork.

See also Turkish Rugs In European Paintings and more links on pre-17th century rugs and carpets.

If you are interested in embroidering a carpet, read Portuguese Needlework Rugs, also called Arraiolos Carpets; a discussion of the manufacture of a carpet embroidered for the Australian SCA can be found at The Royal Carpet.

• Carpets used as bench-coverings in Guiron le Courtois (BNF NAF 5243), c. 1370-1380: Arthur and Bedevere play chess (fol. 3v), Arthur and the messenger of Gaunnes (fol. 6), Brunor of Estrangor and Lac of the Black Isles (fol. 70), and Meliadus and his host (fol. 73v)
• Detail from The Arnolfini Marriage by Jan van Eyck, 1434
• Suckling Madonna Enthroned by Jan van Eyck, c. 1436
• Small Triptych by Jan van Eyck, c. 1437
• The dubbing of William II of Holland, Chronografia (BNF Fr. 9002, fol. 94), mid-15th century
• An interesting heraldic carpet in the presentation scene, History of Alexander (BNF Fr. 9342, fol. 5), mid-15th century
• Madonna and Child with Saints by Alessio Baldovinetti, 1454
• The Continence of Scipio from the workshop of Apollonio di Giovanni, c. 1463 (V&A 5804-1859)
• Detail from the handwashing of Pilate from the Schottenaltar, c. 1469-1480
• The Court of Mantua by Andrea Mantegna, 1471-74
• Montefeltro Altarpiece by Piero della Francesca, 1472-1474
• The Donne Triptych (center panel) by Hans Memling, c. 1475
• St. Sebastian by Antonello da Messina, 1476-77
• Detail from Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints by Domenico Ghirlandaio, c. 1479
• Madonna and Child with Angels by Hans Memling, after 1479
• St. Jerome in his Study by Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1480 (this webpage notes that it seems to be the same carpet as his Madonna and Child Enthroned below)
• Virgin Enthroned with Child and Angel by Hans Memling, 1480
• Confirmation of the Rule of the Order of St. Francis by Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1482-85
• Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints by Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1483 (see also Domenico Ghirlandaio and his Rugs)
• Portrait of a Young Man by Hans Memling, 1485-90
• Virgin and Child Enthroned with Two Angels by Hans Memling, 1485-90
• Annunciation with St. Emidius by Carlo Crivelli, 1486
• Flower Still-Life by Hans Memling, 1490
• A diptych with two members of the shoemakers' guild as donors, Aert van den Bossche, c. 1491-1500
• Meeting of the Betrothed Couple and the Departure of the Pilgrims by Vittore Carpaccio, 1495 (with good details here and here)
• Manuscript miniature of King David, workshop of Girolamo dai Libri, c. 1495 (V&A E.1168-1921)
• The Mass of St. Gilles, 1500
• Birth of the Virgin by Vittore Carpaccio, 1504-1508
• Madonna and Child with Sts Peter, Christine, Liberale, and Jerome by Lorenzo Lotto, 1505
• The Baptism of the Selenites by Vittore Carpaccio, 1507
• Cardinal Bandinello Sauli, His Secretary, and Two Geographers by Sebastiano del Piombo, 1516
• Portrait of a man by Moretto da Brescia, c. 1520-1525
• A Family Group by Bernardino Licinio, 1524
• Portrait of Laura Pisani, circle of Dosso Dossi, 1525
• Virgin and Child by Jan Provost
• Madonna and Child with Saints by Lorenzo Lotto, 1521
• Husband and Wife by Lorenzo Lotto, 1523
• Darmstadt Madonna by Hans Holbein the Younger, late 1520's (detail, commentary)
• Portrait of the Merchant Georg Gisze by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1532 (detail
• Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve (The Ambassadors) by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1533 (detail 1 and detail 2)
• Supper at Emmaus by Jacopo Bassano, 1538

• Portrait of a Lady in White by Moretto da Brescia (detail), c. 1540
• Dives and Lazarus by Bonifacio Veronese, 1540s
• The Alms of St. Anthony by Lorenzo Lotto, 1542 (also here)
• Portrait of an unknown couple by Lorenzo Lotto, c. 1543
• Portrait of Archbishop Cranmer by Gerlach Flicke, 1545-46
• Giovanni della Volta with his Wife and Children by Lorenzo Lotto, 1547 (also here)
• Portrait of a young woman, c. 1550
• The Welbeck (Wanstead) Portrait (Queen Elizabeth I) by Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder, c. 1585
• Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, c. 1592
• The Last Supper by Otto van Veen, 1592
• The Lute Player by Caravaggio, 1600
• Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio, 1601-1602
• Portrait of an unknown lady, c. 1603
• The Somerset House Conference, 1604
• Portrait of Princess Elizabeth by Robert Peake the Elder, c. 1606
• Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio, 1606
• Portrait of Lady Diana Cecil by William Larkin, c. 1614-18

Early Examples of Offset Knotting includes photos and descriptions of several rugs from the 13th-16th centuries. Elsewhere on the same website are instructions for a simple frame loom for making carpets.

Some more extant carpets:

• Detail of knotted pile wool rug, Turkey, early 14th century
• Detail of knotted pile wool rug, Turkey, early 14th century
• Detail of knotted pile wool rug, Turkey, early 14th century
• Admiral Heraldic Carpet with the heraldry of Fadrique Enriquez de Mendoza (1390-1473)
• Carpet, first half of 15th century, Spain
• Small-pattern Holbein carpet, Spanish (Mudejar), Spain, (Probably Alcaraz), 15th century
• Armorial carpet made in Islamic Spain, 15th century
• "Holbein" carpet, Ottoman Turkey, 15th century
• Silk-velvet carpet, Turkey, 15th century
• Holbein Carpet, late 15th century
• Silk carpet with gold threads, Ottoman, 15th-16th century
• Prayer rug, Ushak region, Turkey; late 15th-16th century
• A 'Small Pattern Holbein' rug, first half of the 16th century
• The Ardabil carpet, Iran, 1539-40
• The Ardabil carpet, Iran, 1539-40 (V&A 272-1893)
• Carpets from 16th century Iran (V&A 326-1894; 23-1883; 670-1896; T.267-1959; 579-1884)
• Carpet with animal decorations and central medallion, Iran, 16th century
• 'Small-pattern Holbein' carpet, Anatolia, 16th century
• Holbein carpet with small motifs, Anatolia (Ushak region), 16th century
• Holbein carpet with large motifs, Turkey, 16th century
• Prayer-carpet, Turkey, 16th century
• Knotted pile wool rug fragment, Turkey, 16th century
• Knotted pile wool rug fragment, Turkey, 16th century
• Small-pattern Holbein carpet, Turkey, 16th century (with abstract for an article, "Knots of Desire: An investigation into the importing of Oriental Carpets into England 1581-1640")
• "Lotto" rug, Ushak region, Turkey, 16th century
• Fragment of a large pattern Holbein carpet, Anatolia, 16th century
• Table carpet made in Egypt or Turkey in the mid-16th century (V&A 151-1883)
• Carpet, Turkey, 1550-1600 (V&A 903-1897)
• The Mantes carpet (corner detail), northwestern Iran, late 16th century
• Kilim carpet with scenes from legends, late 16th-early 17th century
• Carpet, Iran, 1580-1640 (V&A T.404-1910)
• Carpet fragment, Iran, 16th or 17th century (V&A T.30-1956)
• Carpet, Iran, 1500-1650 (V&A T.77-1919)
• Carpets from 16th-17th century Turkey (V&A 904-1897; T.29-1956; T.348-1920)
• Medallion and Animal Carpet, probably Isfahan, c. 1600
• The James A. Lucas "Ghirlandaio" Bergama Rug, made in West Anatolia in the 17th century
• Knotted pile wool rug (with detail), Turkey, 17th century
• Knotted pile wool rug, Turkey, 17th century
• Knotted pile wool rug, Turkey, 17th century