The British artist David Hockney says bringing the Bayeux Tapestry to London for an exhibition at the British Museum this autumn is “madness”, adding that the "beautiful as well as historically important" masterpiece could be damaged in transit and "will be put in jeopardy if it is moved to London".
Writing in The Independent (14 January), he questions the British Museum show, saying: “To what end [is this taking place]? The vanity of a museum which wants to boast of the number of visitors. Is it really worth it? I think not.”
The Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings, will be displayed in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery of the British Museum from September until July 2027 while its current home, the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy, undergoes renovations.
Hockney first visited the tapestry in 1967 and has seen it more than 20 times in the past three years alone. He adds: “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.”
He claims that the ancient embroidery, created in the 1070s, could be damaged during transportation. “Moving the Bayeux Tapestry across the [English] 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.”
Nicholas Cullinan, the director of the British Museum, said in response to Hockney’s comments: “While we understand these concerns, the museum has a world-leading conservation and collections team who are experts at handling and caring for this type of material. We send and receive thousands of loans each year, including ancient frescoes and textiles which are older than the Bayeux tapestry, and their condition and safety is always of paramount importance.”
The UK Treasury is due to insure the tapestry for an estimated £800m, covering damage or loss during its transfer from Normandy and also while it is on display at the British Museum.
In exchange for the tapestry loan, some of the British Museum’s treasures—including the Lewis chessmen, the Sutton Hoo helmet, the Mold gold cape and the Dunaverney flesh hook—will travel to Normandy. The historic loan agreement was announced in July by the French president Emmanuel Macron and the British prime minister Keir Starmer at the British Museum.
Hockney, meanwhile, is due to open an exhibition at the Serpentine Galleries in London this spring which features A Year in Normandy (2020-21), a 90-metre-long frieze inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry.
