From photo to fabric: a new cloak for Mary

Symbol of Hope and Comfort

For centuries, Mary has been a symbol of hope and comfort. Because of this, she was frequently invoked during epidemics in days gone by. In spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Once again, many turned to Mary for support in difficult times.

In recognition of this, the order of the Brotherhood of Our Lady of 's-Hertogenbosch decided to give Mary in the Sint-Janskathedraal a new cloak. The Brothers approached three artists, asking them to come up with a design. In the end, they chose the design by Margriet Luyten. A versatile artist who is accustomed to working with textiles, Luyten also makes tapestries. Nonetheless, this commission was a challenge: a cloak is completely different from a tapestry, because it has a functional purpose.

Cow parsley

Luyten took nature as her point of departure. Like many of us, she took refuge during lockdown in nature, a place where many found consolation. Luyten took her camera with her on her many walks, taking photos of the flowers and plants she came across. Plants such as lady's mantle, forget-me-nots, and cow parsley. She was particularly inspired by cow parsley: the plant is in full bloom from March onwards, heralding the arrival of spring.

The blooms on cow parsley are delicate; it is a frail flower that looks fragile. And yet, with its companions, the tiny flowerhead forms a strong plant, which is also known as 'Hollands kant' (Dutch lace) because, together, the flowers create a delicate and decorative pattern. What a beautiful starting point for a design! Luyten feels the flower is also appropriate for Mary. As she herself says: 'Cow parsley and grass are such simple plants, each with their own beauty.  'Humble,' you might say. Wild flowers suit Our Lady. Mary is there for everyone.'

From photo to fabric

Having eventually narrowed it down to a single photo as a basis for the ultimate design, Luyten enlarged the photo and converted it to shades of blue. As the design is based on a photo, the image in the cloak has a lot of depth. Transferring the depth of the photo to the image in woven fabric was technically challenging. To ensure a good result, the cloak was woven at the TextielLab in Tilburg, where Luyten collaborated with product developer Lotte van Dijk and seamstress Ingrid Staps.

Working with the product developer, a computer programme was used to help finalize the technical details of the cloak. Although woven as a single piece of fabric, the cloak is actually made up of several sections, which are cut out and sewn together by the seamstress.

Determining the colour

Determining the right colour compositions in the fabric is a convoluted process. The colours of the cloak are comprised of many different shades and types of thread, which are combined to produce colour gradients and patterns. To keep track of these, all the threads used are recorded in a continually updated document, along with the thread combinations. The artist eventually chooses between the various combinations. The photos show Luyten checking the coloured areas against a colour swatch. These are numbered and, with the aid of a computer programme, can be located in the sample. This is how she decides whether the colour composition is as she wants it, or needs tweaking.

Fit

The cloak also had to fit well. To achieve this, Luyten studied earlier cloaks worn by Mary. Based on these existing cloaks, she could form an idea of what would work best for her design. One important consideration was the look of the text she had included around the cloak. Another factor was the drape, to showcase the cow parsley in all its glory. At the museum, the cloak has been hung spread out, so that the front and back can be clearly seen. The fit will not be apparent until the cloak is draped around Mary's shoulders in the cathedral.

Fitting

One of the final steps in the production process was fitting the cloak to its wearer: Mary in the Sint-Janskathedraal. Here, the cloak is not yet fully finished, but you can still get a good idea of whether it fits properly.

Header: Photo Vincent Nabbe