THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY
The legendary Bayeux Tapestry. However, it is not a regular tapestry that we would consider rather as a craft or probably also as a design if we suppose it had a purpose to decorate something. Supposedly, this work was commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux and was placed in the Bayeux Cathedral. It is indeed a part of the design, but it depicts a significant historical event. It is executed in a beautiful and fascinating way, so it is undoubtedly a very precious piece of art.
The Battle of Hastings is a detail of The Bayeux Tapestry, documenting a decisive battle, which played a significant role in history. After the forces of the Anglo-Saxon King Harold II were defeated by William the Conqueror and the king died in the battle, it left the way open for the Norman Conquest of England.
In the XI century, when the work was produced, there were no other means available to document the events, than books or images like paintings, frescos, sculptures or, rather seldom, tapestries. The event is described in chronicles of that time, which cannot give us a visual impression, though. So, The Bayeux Tapestry has also a significant historical meaning, telling us not only about the fact of the battle but about the clothes, equipment of the warriors and weapons used at that time. At the same time, this work has an absolute art value and is perfectly organised. The dominating elements are lines, shapes, and colours. Some lines are thin, outlining the figures of warriors and animals and an inscription in Latin. Some lines are making diagonal or flexible shapes to decorate the image and to give it more harmony. Dark values are contrasted with a very light background, giving us a clear picture of the episode. Following a specific pattern, the artists could create a rhythm in the image, emphasising the figures of horsemen in the centre, moving against each other and embodying the conflict. The images of animals on the top of the tapestry might have symbolic meaning.
Due to the technology used, it was probably difficult to reflect the emotions and tension of the scene. However, the poses of the warriors, like the foot one protecting himself from arrows and another one looking back, express fear. The most dramatic impression make dead people lying around, fallen horses and discarded weapon on the lower part of the work. We do not know, though, whether the scene illustrating the battle was created by the artists themselves or it was preliminary sketched by somebody else.
This is a wool embroidery on linen, has a giant size of 230 feet long and 20 inches high. The masters used threads, which were coloured beforehand, and followed a specific pattern. The two methods of stitching were used: outline and stem stitch to outline the figures, and the couching or laid work to fill them. Maybe it was a suitable alternative to a fresco to decorate the cathedral because of specific climate or building peculiarities, or because of the special skills of the artists who made it. We may assume that it was a particular wish to get a textured picture rather than a painted one, out of visual, aesthetic, or even practical reasons like a necessity to preserve it over time. The dominating various tones of terracotta and russet, green, blue, and yellow colours may have symbolical meaning or just reflect their natural origin, as they could be made of crushed soils, minerals, or plants.
The Bayeux Tapestry belonged to the early Romanesque Period when the artists' principal activities were decorating churches and making sculptures. Religious emphasis and expressive nature are the main characteristics of this period. Sainte-Madeleine Tympanum is one of the most famous and beautiful churches and is an adorable example of Romanesque Art. Pilgrimage, which was widespread at that time, contributed to exchanging ideas and styles and, therefore, expanding Romanesque art through Europe. Worms Cathedral in Germany, Saint-Sernin in Toulouse and Notre-Dame-la-Grande in Poitiers, France, Cathedral and Campanile in Pisa, Italy and Marksburg Castle in Germany are the wonderful heritage from this period. We admire Romanesque sculptures, like The Last Judgment and The Prophet Jeremaiah, decorating French churches, as well as paintings and crafts, like The Chalice of Abbot Suger carved from a single piece of sardonyx.