The Bayeux Tapestry: art and context

Aims

This course aims to:

• explore the artistry and imagery of the Bayeux Tapestry as a complex 
  example of medieval narrative art
   
• evaluate the different understandings of the context, patrons and viewers 
  for whom it was created
   
• reflect on the purpose and meaning of its display in the medieval and 
  modern world 

Course content

This is the medieval artwork of the moment. The unprecedented loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum gives us an opportunity to consider this unique work of art. An account of the Norman Conquest recorded at Bayeux from the later Middle Ages it has long attracted scholars on both sides of the Channel who have brought different approaches to its interpretation. 

You will learn all about the tapestry, its creation, its imagery, its narrative and symbolic communication and its historical value. There will be the opportunity to review and assess the variety of different interpretations offered for the symbolism of its scenes and overall story that it tells. 

We will set this work in the context of the emergence of monumental visual art in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. We shall examine evidence for the techniques and location of its creation. There will be opportunity to think about its materiality, learn about the stitching techniques and ponder how such a very long embroidery was planned and developed. This leads to a focus on its makers and the question of whether there are places where we not only see the work of their hands but perhaps catch their voice. 

You will learn something of the cultural and political history of the events around the Norman Conquest as you think about the design, patronage and original viewers. As you encounter these people you will explore the extent to which these groups had a single or multiple view of the events the tapestry narrated. Time will be spent thinking about the ways in which the tapestry not only records but also characterises cultural distinctions between Saxons and Normans. We’ll also discover the ways the tapestry challenges easy assumptions about the different roles and perspectives of nuns and bishops, rulers and ruled, conquerors and conquered. 

We will encounter and evaluate the variety of theories about the original display and location of the tapestry, sacred or secular, Normandy or England, site specific or intended to travel. You can expect to learn how all of these interpretations nuance the questions raised in the making and viewing of the tapestry. Some proposed locations also enhance our understanding of the emphasis and narrative structure of the Tapestry. All broaden our understanding of the hierarchy and display of medieval art. 

You will both learn about the Tapestry and its cultural context and about art historical and cultural approaches. These will include object biography, technique and conservation, patronage and reception, physical and cultural context, transmission of motifs, symbols and gestures and narrative. Expect to be immersed in a multi-disciplinary study which draws on approaches informed by literature, film studies and documentary history. 

What to expect on this course

With your group of fellow learners, we will be looking together, sharing and reflecting. As well as being directly taught, you will be interacting with the tutor and also your fellow learners. Projected images will give us our focus as we explore the tapestry. There will be opportunity to study these in detail and discuss them in small groups and in the full class.

To understand medieval culture we will use focussed extracts from written sources. We will also reflect on short readings to give us insight into how this topic has been approached over the years. You may sometimes be asked to read short extracts and come ready to discuss your ideas and interpretation. Learning will be by looking, listening to your fellow students as well as the tutor and reflecting on different images and texts.

Course sessions

1. What is the Bayeux Tapestry? An introduction to this unique object, its history and survival, the challenges presented by its study. An introduction also in the variety of ways in which the tapestry has been approached and understood. 
2. Making the Bayeux Tapestry. An exploration of what we can learn from the Tapestry about its creation and a chance to think about the challenges it posed to those who make it. 
3. Who’s who in the Tapestry. A focus on the characters presented through the tapestry and a reflection on the impact of patronage and reception. 
4. Displaying and viewing the Tapestry. This session asks how and where this work was displayed and what questions about display and location bring to our interpretation of the tapestry.
5. What is the message of the Bayeux Tapestry? This concluding session takes from the multiple narratives included in the tapestry to the questions of its narrative arc, genre and shifting cultural meanings. It also raises questions about the extent and limits of our interpretation and the ways in which different generations, nations and disciplines have brought their own understandings to the tapestry. 

Learning outcomes

As a result of the course, you will gain a greater understanding of the subject and you should be able to:

• appreciate the significance of this unique and complex work in its original and present context
• understand its creation and technique and be able to discuss its patronage, display and meanings
• have confidence in offering detailed interpretations of its visual languages, symbolism and techniques and its overall narrative

Required reading

Musgrove, David, and Michael John Lewis, The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry: Unraveling the Norman Conquest (London: Thames & Hudson, 2025)