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Image Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich  © Feeling Blue, Alberta Whittle and Tapestry by Dovecot studios

Feeling Blue is a major new tapestry commission is on display in the Queen’s House.

Scottish-Barbadian artist Alberta Whittle’s Feeling Blue (2023) is collaborative piece woven by Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh. The artwork has been developed in response to the large and varied collections of Royal Museums Greenwich, as well as the history and cultural significance of Greenwich. The 160x155 cm tapestry is filled with richly evocative textures, symbolic shapes, and tropical colours.

The tapestry responds to specific artworks within the Queen’s Presence Chamber – a room where the monarch traditionally would have presented themselves to an audience.  

Cultured freshwater pearl beads are woven into its design, referencing the jewelled gown depicted in The Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I, and the ‘Drake Jewel’ shown in the portrait of Sir Francis Drake.

The tapestry’s blue colour scheme also provides a nod to the interior of the Queen’s House itself.

The tapestry is hung on a set of blue ‘gates’, which are an important component of Whittle’s work. Whittle sees the ‘gates’ as reminiscent of fencing, suggesting containment and control. Placed within the gallery space the gates no longer act as a barrier. Instead, Whittle uses the gates to expand rather than restrict as visitors are free to walk around them and view the tapestry from both sides. The decorative fretwork on the panels evokes the architecture of the Queen’s House, in particular the Tulip Stairs.

* Suitable for all ages.