The Bayeux Tapestry is famous as one of the most extraordinary artefacts to survive from the eleventh century. It is an extremely fragile work of art, consisting of woollen threads embroidered on a linen canvas; its incredible length (almost 70 metres), the harmony and brightness of its colours and the richness of its workmanship, make it an object of great fascination. And the events of the years 1064 to 1066 surrounding the contested accession to the English throne of William, Duke of Normandy are so vividly portrayed that we can almost watch the artists' minds at work as they created it. In addition to the historical narrative, it provides an irreplaceable picture of eleventh-century life. This book is designed to present the Tapestry in such a way that the reader can discover the Tapestry step by step. Every episode is illustrated in colour and accompanied by a detailed commentary, but is at the same time situated in its place in the Tapestry as a whole. In this erudite but highly readable study, Lucien Musset, Emeritus Professor at the University of Caen, offers the key to a new approach to a work of art which teems with life.
