Tufted wall tapestry 

“Catharina van de Ven’s new wall tapestry “Medieval” (2025) is inspired by a visit to Château de Chenonceau in France. Henri II gave this castle to his mistress, Diane, which was later reclaimed and renewed by his wife Catherine de' Medici in 1559. Known as the Château des Dames, it has long been shaped by the influence and agency of powerful women, making it a quietly radical site of feminine history.

By choosing tufted wool as her material, Catharina embraces a tactile, traditionally “feminine” technique and elevates it to monumental scale, reclaiming softness, craft and care as forms of power.”

Wall Tapestry Medieval is an abstract homage to the refined world of the Middle Ages—a time of grandeur and restraint, of muted tones and lavish ornamentation. Inspired by the elegance of historic castles and their richly detailed interiors, this tapestry captures the quiet magnificence of a past where craftsmanship and aesthetics were inseparable.The atmosphere of places like Château de Chenonceau—its architectural grace, floral arrangements, and narrative gobelins—forms the emotional foundation of this work. Vertical lines and soft, tufted arches suggest flowers, columns, vaults—a stylized echo of what once existed in stone, textile, and gilded leaf.Rather than a literal depiction, the tapestry offers a contemporary translation of a timeless ambiance: understated opulence, attention to detail, and the layered richness of a culture in which art, and life were deeply intertwined. In Wall Tapestry Medieval, this spirit is made tangible once again – captured in wool, rythm, and color.