The Y instead could be a Pythagorean letter that signaled the division of vice from virtue (Graham, 1947). The mysterious Y in the mandorlas may stand for Yolande, yet the tapestry’s commission pre-dates Yolande’s marriage to Louis’s son and the choice to associate her with Babylon seems odd. Her rich attire and the effort she expends on combing her hair both demonstrate her indulgence in material wealth and her proud appearance. Babylon’s self-reflexive gaze and her apparent disinterest in the men who look at her underscore her intense vanity. The tapestry sequence draws upon the rich medieval tradition of illuminated manuscripts of the Book of Revelation, and the representation of Babylon conforms to earlier types that present her as the embodiment of sin, especially the sins of luxury, vanity, and pride. By 1480, the tapestry hung in Angers Cathedral.
Though the original occasion for the creation of the tapestry remains unknown, in 1400 it was displayed outdoors to the public during the wedding of Louis’s son to Yolande of Aragon. The tapestry of which this panel forms a part was commissioned by Louis I, Count of Anjou (1339-1384), designed by a Flemish manuscript illuminator named Jean Bondol, and executed by Parisian weaver Nicolas Bataille and his workshop. A vine pattern with the letter ‘Y’ in mandorlas winds through the background of the scene.
#Whore of babylon full
In the full scene John and the angel approach from an abstract architectural element to the left and the angel gestures toward the self-absorbed woman. She combs her loose blonde hair and gazes intently at her reflection in a mirror. On the panel, Babylon sits upon tiers of waves dressed in a rose-colored gown girded with a jeweled belt.
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