THE SUNDAY SNAP(S): APOCALYPSE WOW

A giant tapestry in the Château d’Angers tells the story of the end of the world

The Apocalypse Tapestry, today brilliantly displayed in a gallery at the castle in Angers, was commissioned in 1373 by Louis I duke of Anjou. Although only 25 years old, the duke already owned dozens of fine tapestries - but this one was a doozy.

The images were designed by the famous painter Hennequin de Bruges, and the work was carried out in the Paris studio of a weaver called Robert Poinçon. Everything was overseen by Nicolas Bataille, whose job was roughly what people in showbusiness today call an executive producer.

The subject was the end of the world, as foreseen by St John of Patmos in the Book of Revelation.

You really do have to see the Apocalypse Tapestry to appreciate its full splendour. The sheer size, the vividness of the colours and the grisly, gleeful detail of the scenes of bedlam and judgment are hard to imagine.

I suppose the effect in the fourteenth century - when famines, pandemics, rebellions and wars seemed to suggest that the end of days really was approaching - must have been like watching an Avengers movie on the biggest cinema screen in the world, but with the added frisson of it all being inevitable and true.

Anyway. These are a few close-ups I snapped during our visit to Angers today. I hope you enjoy them. This afternoon we’re off to Fontevraud, mausoleum of the first Plantagenets. I’ll post about it tomorrow.

Oh, and for those who’ve asked, this tour of medieval France has been organised - with great flair and attention to detail - by Brad and Kathleen at Author Fan Travel. We’re all having a blast.