The Galleon I Italian Tapestry
The Galleon I is an Italian jacquard wall tapestry. The artwork comes from an 18th century painting by Francesco Guardi detailing the activities of the Venetian port. This extract from the painting focuses on a huge galley in the bay and the merchants waiting for arrival of the ship at port. The city of Venice originated as a collection of lagoon communities banded together for mutual defense as the power of the Western Roman Empire dwindled in northern Italy. This tapestry gives us a historical view of the harbor of the ancient city.