Having survived revolution, numerous wars, fire and attempted seizure over the course of 900 years, the Bayeux Tapestry has emerged with totemic status as one of the most important artefacts of European history. Spread out over seventy metres, the Tapestry unfolds the story of the Conquest of England in 1066, from the end of the reign of Edward the Confessor to an account of the Battle of Hastings and the defeat of King Harold and his army by the invasion force of William, Duke of Normandy. Long admired for its unity of vision and its exquisite workmanship, the Tapestry is an eloquent narrative, filled with urgency, drama, suspense, pathos and the brutal reality of war.
It is also endlessly fascinating, with depictions of Halley’s Comet and the earliest surviving representation of Westminster Abbey, fleets of ships and cavalry, and, in the borders, everything from animal fables to obscene sketches. This handy guide reproduces the beautiful drawings of the Tapestry made by the 19th-century French artist Victor Sansonetti, together with translations of the Latin titles and a concise commentary on each plate, while the introduction sets the Tapestry in its historical context. Published to coincide with the loan of the Tapestry to Britain in 2026, it provides an excellent primer to this magnificent historical survival.
