In previous centuries, unless one was a member of an aristocracy, a wealthy religious order, or a merchant guild, there was little opportunity to devote significant time to medieval tapestries. “Most works were relatively crude and were for decorative purposes.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art writes:Tapestries still commanded high prices, as did their owners, and just as other decorative arts of the time preserved historical memory, or at least a particular political version of it, tapestry designs sometimes embodied “celebratory or propaganda themes” in their warp and weft.
“Tapestries, decorated with silk and gold thread, were central elements of the ostentatious opulence used by powerful secular and religious rulers to display their wealth and power,” writes the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is one of the most famous of these works. Bayeux TapestryCommemorating the victory of William the Conqueror in 1066 Battle of HastingsThe famous wall hanging is Bayeux Museum This basilica in Normandy was “probably commissioned in the 1070s” by William’s half-brother, Bishop Odo of Bayeux, and is a very early example of the style. The Victorian Replicas website writes:However, “nothing is known for certain about the tapestry’s origins” (the first written record dates to 1476).
For centuries the Bayeux Tapestry has been hidden from most people, but now you can stand before it in its home in Bayeux, and see a highly faithful replica. Reading Museum, UK(In both cases, you’ll notice that the Bayeux Tapestry isn’t actually a tapestry. Woven on a loomHowever, it is time-consuming to hand-sew embroidery) Or, instead of traveling, you can watch the video above, in which filmmaker David Newton and sound designer Marc Sylvain animate the tapestry’s story.
From 1064 to the fateful year of 1066, Intense competition Sick Edward the ConfessorAdvisor Harold Godwinson and William the Conqueror When Edward died in 1066, Harold took the throne, and William invaded and defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings. The Tapestry tells the story of this bloody battle in vivid detail. The Bayeux Museum writes:“A tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings that closely matches the description given by an 11th-century author.” Historian Robert Bartlett saysis “the most complete pictorial record of a medieval battle in existence,” and the animation above brings it to life with sound and movement.
Note: The animated Bayeux Tapestry above was originally created as a student project. David Newton provided the animation and Marc Sylvan created the original music and sound effects. Enjoy!
Related Content:
The Bayeux Tapestry is digitized: medieval tapestry viewed in high resolution, down to every single thread
Create your own Bayeux Tapestry with this free online app
How Louis XIV’s Ornate Tapestries Were Made (and Are They Still Made Today)
Josh Jones A writer and musician based in Durham, North Carolina. Follow
