The Bayeux Tapestry and Its Contexts

A groundbreaking interdisciplinary study challenges the long-held assumption that the Bayeux Tapestry was commissioned by Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, or another comparable patron. Instead, it presents compelling evidence linking its design and patronage to the monks of St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury. By synthesizing art-historical, archaeological, literary, historical, and documentary materials, the authors argue that the tapestry was crafted to narrate the abbey's perspective on the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. This reinterpretation offers a fresh understanding of one of history’s most enigmatic artifacts, reshaping our view of its origins, purpose, and cultural significance.

Pastan, E. C., Reimer, S. R., & Gilbert, K. (2014). The Bayeux Tapestry and Its Contexts. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781782043898