Some things are too precious to take a risk with. Moving the Bayeux Tapestry is one of them. It is nearly a thousand years old, the most complete narrative work of art in Europe, and remember it is very long, more than 70 metres in length. It is fragile, which makes it madness to think of moving it. It is too big a risk.
I first saw the tapestry in 1967 and have seen it more than 20 times in the last three years. And it is beautiful as well as historically important. Backed on linen, the colours and the marvellous needlework make it not just vulnerable, but it will be put in jeopardy if it is moved to London, as the British Museum plans an exhibition there. I think it should not be uprooted from where it has been kept safe for so many centuries, and I will explain why. I have been a risk-taker in most things I have done, but I never see any advantage in being reckless.
First, a history lesson. It is fundamental to our island story. The tapestry was created in the 1070s after the Norman Conquest and was commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, who was the half-brother of William the Conqueror. Made in Canterbury, it is a display of events leading up to and including the Battle of Hastings. It illustrated King Edward the Confessor and William of Normandy’s claim to the English throne and the Norman invasion, and Harold’s death. The 58 narrative scenes have been observed in Bayeux for nearly a millennium, and it has survived political upheaval and wars, and now faces an unnecessary conservation ordeal with the British Museum.
I note that this beautiful work, which is more an embroidery than a tapestry, has no shadows and no reflections, which is the same as traditional art from India, Persia, China and Japan. It was not until the camera came in as an artist’s aid that these things emerged. Use both eyes, not just one ie a camera. The tapestry has a natural and timeless way of observing in art. That is what I suggest the British Museum does, literally. Look at what it plans to do, as history is in its hands.
The British Museum sent someone to see me to explain why they want to bring the tapestry to London. I am not sure they had worked out how to transport it. The person who came had not read my book Secret Knowledge, which explains the development of art and perspective, and the Bayeux Tapestry is a key part of that; it is historic and important.
Moving the Bayeux Tapestry across the Channel for an exhibition would involve significant risk. I have looked into this. The linen backing is weakened by age, and the wool embroidery threads are vulnerable to stress. Rolling, unrolling, or hanging it in a new way can cause tearing, stitch loss and distortion of the fabric. Uneven tension is causing structural strain. Even minor mishandling could cause irreversible damage. It has survived so far like a miracle, being hidden away for 300 years until it was displayed permanently in the 1800s.
The tapestry is acclimatised to tightly controlled conditions in Bayeux. Sudden changes in temperature, humidity or light exposure can lead to fibre contraction or expansion or colour fading.
Wool dyes are highly light-sensitive. Increased exposure during exhibition and transit accelerates fading and fibre degradation. Conservation ethics generally favour minimal display time for such textiles. Each stage – packing, unpacking, mounting – introduces new handling. The more unlikely risks are theft, fire, accident or activist protests. Even with high security, risk is never zero.
Modern museum practice is meant to prioritise preservation over access. While moving the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK might have vanity and symbolic educational value, the physical and environmental risks are substantial. Any damage would be irreversible, and even successful transport could shorten the tapestry’s lifespan.
Rolling up something that has been hanging in the same place for hundreds of years could, in seconds, lead to damage. This is not like the Mona Lisa, which is easy to move and which once went to America on a ship (but it is not 70m long and can be packed in a simple case). To what end? The vanity of a museum which wants to boast of the number of visitors. Is it really worth it? I think not.
I suggest it stays, and there is a proper debate about it being moved. Make an identical copy. It is not difficult. It would look fantastic. It is also not as if the tapestry is inaccessible to anyone in London. It is just six hours away by car. But if it is moved, it should take a lot longer as it would have to go by lorry and train and at a snail’s pace to stop potential vibrations and jolting.
I have been told it is insured for £80m. That is meaningless. It is priceless. And it is now safe and open to anyone to see it. Why does a London museum, which prides itself on conserving and preserving great art, want to gamble on the survival of the most important art image of scale in Europe? It is madness. I am not afraid to speak up for art. It is something that has defined my life for more than eight decades. Love life. Use two eyes.
