19/05/2023
The Bayeux Tapestry is a masterpiece of 11th century Romanesque art, which was probably commissioned by Bishop Odo, William the Conqueror’s half-brother, to embellish his newly-built cathedral in Bayeux in 1077. A detail of the Bayeux Tapestry, it tells one of the most famous stories in British history - that of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, particularly the battle of Hastings, which took place on 14 October 1066.
The tapestry is a band of linen 20 inches tall (50cm) and 230 feet long (70 metres), now light brown with age, on which are embroidered, in worsteds of eight colours. Despite its name, the Bayeux Tapestry is actually an embroidery in wool thread on linen cloth. The story it tells, based on imagery like stained glass windows, is both an epic poem and a moralistic work. It is a wonder to behold the detail and creativity of its conception.
It commemorates a struggle for the throne of England between William, the Duke of Normandy, and Harold, the Earl of Wessex. The year was 1066—William invaded and successfully conquered England, becoming the first Norman King of England (he was also known as William the Conqueror). Among the many characters brought to life in the Bayeux Tapestry, William Duke of Normandy, Harold the Anglo-Saxon and Odo, Bishop of Bayeux are the main ones.
The Bayeux Tapestry consists of seventy-five scenes with Latin inscriptions (tituli) depicting the events leading up to the Norman conquest and culminating in the Battle of Hastings. Although the end of the embroidery is missing, the story ends with the Anglo-Saxons fleeing at the end of the Battle of Hastings, and it most probably showed the coronation of William as King of England.
The tapestry is now exhibited at the Musee de la Tapisserie de Bayeux in Bayeux, Normandy, France. This textile provides an excellent example of Anglo-Norman art. It serves as a medieval artifact that operates as art, chronicle, political propaganda, and visual evidence of eleventh-century mundane objects, all at a monumental scale. This astounding work continues to fascinate.
Reference: Bayeux Museum
