The Healing of the Lame Man (tapestry)
Based on Acts 3, the tapestry shows Saints Peter and John healing the lame man at the Temple gate. Raphael’s cartoon (woven in Brussels by Pieter van Aelst) stages a crystalline drama: Peter’s commanding gesture, the beggar’s astonishment, the crowd’s ripple of wonder, all set against a classically ordered portico. Borders of grotesques and putti frame the scene like a portable altarpiece in thread, made to hang in the Sistine Chapel on feast days.
Why This Artwork Is Important
- Among the celebrated Sistine Chapel tapestry series after Raphael’s cartoons.
- Demonstrates how High Renaissance design translates into monumental textile art.
What to Look For
- Peter’s outstretched right hand raising the beggar.
- The ‘Beautiful Gate’ architecture creating depth with coffered ceilings and colonnades.
- Expressive spectators—hands, faces, and drapery registering the miracle.
- Ornate borders with grotesques, fruits, and small narrative medallions.
Fun Fact
Raphael’s original cartoons for the tapestry series are preserved in London (V&A); the Vatican set was woven in Brussels in the 1510s.
Last Minute Offers
Find the cheapest last-minute offers to visit Gallery of Tapestries and see The Healing of the Lame Man (tapestry) with your own eyes!
| Date | Tickets | Tours |
|---|---|---|
| Buy for €25 | Buy for €74 | |
| Buy for €25 | Buy for €71 | |
| Buy for €39 | Buy for €65 | |
| Buy for €39 | Buy for €64 | |
| Buy for €39 | Buy for €64 |
