Sometimes it proves easier to understand contemporary art through the lens of great classic pieces from throughout history. In studying examples from our ancestors, we can not only cultivate a more full understanding of their lives, but of our own as well. In studying ancient art, we form a fuller grasp of the basic structures in art, the original influences of the masters , and sometimes, if we are lucky, a glimpse into the artistic world of today. One such case is that of the Bayeux tapestry.
The History of the Bayeux Tapestry is a complex oneùperhaps almost as complex as the contextual history from which it is derived. In looking at the remaining part of the tapestry, however, we are witness to the art form from which it emerged, as well as the time, place, and attitude towards such from which we find the tapestry.
Of course, we use the term ôtapestryö loosely, as it has been used throughout history to describe this particular work of art. As Dodwell explains:
Although it has always been improperly identified as a tapestry, it is an embroidery. The item was made by Anglo-Saxon embroiders, probably in Canterbury between 1066 and 1082. It was commissioned by Odo, earl of Kent and Bishop of Bayeux (as well as half-brother of William the Conqueror), in order to celebrate the Norman conquest of England and the preparing events, especially emphasizing the role played by Odo himself. The Bayeux Tapestry is an historical record, but it is to be interpreted with great caution. Anyway, it is a social history evidence of unmatched importance, for it provides a detailed picture of contemporary lifestyle, objects and costume (263-4).
As a ôtapestryö in the true sense of the word, involves the weaving of the image directly into the fabric, the Bayeux Tapestry does not technically qualify to fit the category. It is comprised of several long normal pieces of linen, embroidered with eight different colors of thread, in order...