Modernism in thread
Woven art takes centre stage at Chichester Cathedral in one of Britain’s most daring post-war commissions: the vivid High Altar tapestry, unveiled in 1966. Created by celebrated artist and printmaker John Piper (1903-1992) and commissioned by the visionary Dean Walter Hussey, Dean of Chichester from 1955 to 1977, it remains one of the most significant ecclesiastical artworks of the 20th century.
Seven towering panels were designed to cover the High Altar’s historic oak reredos, turning thread into bold, abstract imagery. The tapestry was woven in France by Pinton Frères. Piper’s design reimagines sacred themes through a modernist lens, using graphic forms and vivid colour to depict the Holy Trinity and the elements of creation.
Striking, colourful and dramatic, the tapestry continues to prompt reflection and wonder more than sixty years after it was unveiled. It has remained at the heart of worship in the Cathedral, rather than being a work kept apart from it.
The High Altar Tapestry shows that cathedral textiles are not only a matter of embroidery and needlework. Woven on a monumental scale, it shows how a bold modern commission can sit alongside centuries of heritage and change how a historic space looks and feels. It is also a reminder that Chichester’s textile story is one of patronage as well as making, shaped by a Dean with a vision and an artist willing to take risks.
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