Anatolian rugs and carpets found in Renaissance paintings

Many painting from the renaissance period feature fine Oriental rugs and carpets, these paintings are an important historical guide to the manufacture of handmade rugs and carpets, and by investigating the movement and dates of a particular artist we can obtain valuable information regarding woven history. The leading carpet scholar Kurt Erdmann first classified rugs and carpets by using the names of the artists who liked to use certain Oriental rugs and carpets in their paintings. Five renaissance artists stand out from the rest, Holbein, Lotto, Bellini, Crivelli and Memling. Probably the most important artist is Hans Holbein 1497-1543 who name is synonymous with Anatolian rug and carpet designs that featured in his paintings. Lorenzo Lotto 1480-1557 is also given his name to a design of Anatolian rug which is also known as Arabesque Ushak, and almost always has a yellow design on a red ground. The works of these great artists can be found in the major museums of the world, and in London's Oriental rug warehouses rugs and carpets can still be found woven with the influence of Anatolian rugs found in the painting of the renaissance artists.