| It is likely that the tapestry was commissioned by William the Conqueror's half-brother, Bishop Odo of Bayeux, depicting the events surrounding the conquest. It details events leading up to the invasion of England and shows the key aspects of the conquest itself, not least the Battle of Hastings.
The original Bayeux tapestry, which can be seen in the Museum of Bayeux in northern France, is not a tapestry in the normal sense. It is actually an embroidery of at least eight coloured wools, worked onto linen. It is probably the most important pictorial image of the 11th century.
It is divided into a series of related scenes and is approximately 50cm wide and 68m long. There are about 50 different scenes showing over 600 human figures, 750 animals and other creatures including some mythical beasts. It contains over 2000 latin letters.
Our range of reproductions show some of the panels from this outstanding work of art. |
