The Apostles Creed

Each of the fifteen compartments in this tapestry contains a single scene representing an article of the Apostles’ Creed, a set of declarations of Christian belief dating back to the fourth century. One of few surviving tapestries to depict this subject, this piece is unique for its inclusion of every article in a single hanging, without any accompanying inscriptions. The straightforward, even provincial design of the compositions makes them easily legible, unfolding like a comic strip from top to bottom. The series opens with God creating heaven and earth and ends with an image of everlasting life. Within the context of the church, such tapestries offered visual lessons that would have been used in religious instruction.

Credit: Gift of The Hearst Foundation, 1960