Tapestries

Hundertwasser's first tapestry, 133 Pissing Boy with Skyscraper, was created in 1952 as the result of a bet. Hundertwasser had asserted that it was possible to weave a tapestry without a cartoon, i.e., a full-size cardboard model of the image that serves as template for the planned tapestry. All Hundertwasser tapestries that were executed later on by weavers of Hundertwasser's choice were created without such cardboard templates. When transforming his works into tapestries, Hundertwasser's main concern was to have the work done freehand; this would mean that there had been a transmission of a work from one medium into another, including the artistic interpretation by the weaver without recourse to a pre-supplied pattern or cardboard template. In Hundertwasser's opinion, only this procedure, without any template, could breathe life into the work, thus ensuring the creation of an authentic work of art and not just a soulless copy of a model. This is the reason why all Hundertwasser's tapestries are unique works.