FIFTEEN months and 3000 metres of warp later, a famed expressionist painter’s work has been translated to tapestry for the first time.

The specially commissioned piece set to be installed at a business park was unveiled at a “cutting off” ceremony in Edinburgh.

The creation by Dovecot Studios, which involved five weavers carrying out 4500 weaving hours of work, was inspired by Minerva Protects Pax From Mars by Leon Kossoff – itself a study of a painting by legendary Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens.

Members of the Kossoff family helped cut the tapestry from the loom and saw it unfurled.

Naomi Robertson, master weaver and studio manager at Dovecot Studios, said: “This has been a very exciting commission for the studios.

“Kossoff’s expressive, assertive brushstrokes and use of colour has translated extraordinarily well into tapestry. The finished piece will be a stunning centrepiece when installed at Edinburgh Park.”

The artwork was commissioned by Parabola chairman Peter Millican, the developer behind Edinburgh Park.

The wool, cotton and linen piece – which is four metres in length – will be installed in the public concourse at the development’s flagship office building 1 New Park Square, with the site due to be completed later this year.

It is the first of seven new office buildings planned for the development, along with 1737 homes and a 170-bed hotel.

The tapestry is to form part of an arts trail at Edinburgh Park.

Millican said: “I firmly believe that investing in culture is key to creating places where people will want to visit, to live and to work, and that’s reflected the arts strategy which underpins our vision for Edinburgh Park.

“This has been an exciting project from the very beginning, and I congratulate the weavers and everyone involved in creating such a beautiful tapestry.

Parabola led the development of King’s Place in London.