| anon |
Oct 16th, 2002 07:52 PM |
STILL didn't notice the correct spelling of the place, but maybe you will once you get there.<BR><BR>And you might want to read the Rough Guide description of the "tapestry" before you go. <BR><BR>Housed in an impressive eighteenth-century seminary on rue de Nesmond, the Bayeux Tapestry – also known to the French as the Tapisserie de la Reine Mathilde – is a seventy-metre strip of linen that recounts the story of the Norman conquest of England (daily: mid-March to April & Sept to mid-Oct 9am–6.30pm; May–Aug 9am–7pm; mid-Oct to mid-March 9.30am–12.30pm & 2–6pm; last admission 45min before closing; 40F/€6.10). Although created over nine centuries ago, the brilliance of its coloured wools has barely faded, and the tale is enlivened throughout with scenes of medieval life, popular fables and mythical beasts. Technically it's not really a tapestry at all, but an embroidery; the skill of its draughtsmanship, and the sheer vigour and detail, are stunning. The work is thought to have been carried out by nuns in England, commissioned by Bishop Odo, William's half-brother, in time for the inauguration of Bayeux cathedral in 1077.<BR><BR>Visits are well planned and highly atmospheric, if somewhat exhausting. First comes a slide show, projected onto billowing sheets of canvas; you then pass along a photographic replica of the tapestry, with enlargements and detailed commentaries. After an optional film show, you finally approach the real thing, to find that it has a strong three-dimensional presence you might not expect from all the flat reproductions. The tapestry looks – and reads – like a modern comic strip. Harold is every inch the villain, with his dastardly little moustache and shifty eyes. He looks extremely self-satisfied as he breaks his oath to accept William as king of England and seizes the throne for himself, but his come-uppance swiftly follows, as William, the noble hero, crosses the Channel and defeats the English armies at Hastings.<BR>
|
