Dovecot Studios (also known as Dovecot) was established in 1912 by the 4th Marquess of Bute (1881-1947) for the purpose of weaving large historical tapestries for his many residences, primarily Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute. The tapestries produced were all woven by hand, using the traditional Gobelins technique, and were primarily intended as wall hangings. After the Second World War, the studio began collaborating with external designers, inviting well-known contemporary artists to submit tapestry designs. My overall research question has been: ‘How has a wide range of artists responded to the opportunity to design tapestries for Dovecot Studios?’ The thesis addresses this question using a chronological structure and focuses on the years 1945 to 1970, a period of flux, constant change and rapid development at the studio. The broader narrative is interspersed with case studies on particular artist-designers: Graham Sutherland(1903-1980), Sax Shaw(1916-2000), Joyce Conwy Evans (b.1929) and Harold Cohen (b.1928). These allow a detailed exploration of how four individual artists designed tapestries for Dovecot, and how their tapestry designs relate to their wider creative practice. The history of the studio during this period was also shaped by individual personalities in the roles of Director, Artistic Director and Head Weaver. In the 1940s the Directors chose to weave small panels for the wealthy domestic market but as big business grew in the 1960s so too did the studio’s ambitions and it began receiving large site-specific commissions for new and refurbished buildings. Throughout this period it is evident that the artistic decisions of the studio’s directors were underpinned by financial concerns as they attempted to establish Dovecot as a commercial organisation, against the backdrop of broader economic changes and cultural and social movements in Great Britain and abroad. This in-depth examination of the development of Dovecot Studios over a twenty-five year period reveals a complex organisation, in which the inter-relationships between artist-designers, weavers, patrons and studio directors changed and adapted. In particular, artists and weavers increasingly worked as partners, trying to find a balance between artistic control for the artist as designer and interpretive freedom for the weavers as creative practitioners. This working relationship required a delicate balance and its dynamics were sensitive to the different requirements of speculative and commissioned tapestries. The thesis argues that each tapestry must be viewed as the product of both designer and weaver(s), challenging the tradition of only attributing a tapestry to its designers, not its makers. The thesis also reflects on Dovecot’s relationship with tapestry practice in post-war Europe.

This project aimed to address the lack of research into the mechanical properties and degradation mechanisms for historical tapestries at the fabric level and understand how effective conservation support strategies can be in the preservation of these artifacts. The research incorporated a large range of techniques from diverse disciplines including weaving, ageing, computer modeling, biochemistry and conservation science. The successful manufacture and ageing of relevant samples provided an excellent opportunity to include testing of historical samples for comparison. Tensile testing of all samples provided a valuable insight into the characteristics of degraded historical samples compared to artificially aged samples. Although individual ageing processes – including UV ageing, Relative Humidity (RH) – thermal cycling and mechanical strain ageing produced a reduction in strength, the historical samples showed a far greater loss of strength due to the combination of all types of ageing in addition to handling and pollution damage. A proteomic analysis of the wool fibres resulted in a greater understanding of the degradative “dark” wool ageing process which suggests that wool yellowing and tendering can be produced not just through photo-chemical reaction. Additionally, the chemical analysis laid an important foundation for future research into linking chemical mechanisms of damage with mechanical loss of strength. Analysis using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) provided an insight into the free radical chemistry of a range of wool/wool samples. It was observed that the light aged samples produced thiyl radicals whereas thioperoxy radicals were seen in the heat-humidity aged samples. This implies separate chemical reactions occur to produce degradation in the different ageing regimes. EPR analysis of some historical samples produced a carbon-based radical peak linked to a soot calibration signal. Further research on historical samples found phenolic radicals, possibly linked to the complex dye chemistry. Further research needs to be undertaken to fully clarify these findings. A world-wide questionnaire to textile conservators has provided a useful resource in terms of a survey of methods and materials used across the world – including technical data as well as more “ethical” motivations for conservation. The results of this survey were used along with the physical data collated in the mechanical testing as information inputted into a finite element model (FEA) to undertake the digital modeling of a tapestry hanging under its own weight. Although more research is needed to fully develop this model, a preliminary investigation has been established which can be used in future research as a tool for textile conservators across the world.

La tenture de la 'Dame à la licorne' est le plus souvent interprétée comme une allégorie des sens physiques, mais son iconographie se distingue par le registre héraldique. Chaque composition s’organise tel un emblème héraldique de sorte que les personnages principaux remplacent l’écu tant du point de vue visuel que fonctionnel. Si cette tenture est fréquemment citée comme un monument à la réussite socioprofessionnel du commanditaire, on n’a jamais cherché à comprendre comment le registre scénique contribue à la représentation du commanditaire. Autre lacune dans le corpus de littérature, l’importance de la figure féminine dans cette image est restée jusqu’alors ignorée. La présente étude propose donc d’étudier la 'Dame à la licorne' et sa fonction représentative en analysant les traditions culturelles, littéraires et iconographiques, ainsi que les réalités sociohistoriques, qui sous-tendent l’image d’excellence sociale que le commanditaire souhaite rattacher à sa personne et à sa famille. / The 'Lady and the Unicorn' tapestries are most often interpreted as an allegory of the physical senses, but their iconography is remarkable for its integration of armorial elements. Each composition is organized like a heraldic emblem, such that the main figures replace the coat-of-arms in its position and its function. Though this work is frequently identified as a monument to the patron’s socio-professional success, no effort has been made to understand how the scenes contribute to his personal representation. The lack of interest for the decidedly female character of this iconographic programme is another weakness in previous studies of these tapestries. This doctoral dissertation proposes to examine the 'Lady and the Unicorn' and its representative function by analysing the cultural, literary and iconographic traditions, as well as the socio-historic realities, that shape the image of social excellence the patron constructs in order to represent himself and his family.