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The art of war: the Bayeux Tapestry records the most important battle on British soil

Jonathan Jones
This 11th-century comic strip is full of telling details about the battle that gave William of Normandy the kingdom he believed his by right
Bayeux Tapestry
This is a masterpiece of war art. The 11th century artists who embroidered it filled their 70m long comic strip with telling details. A woman and child flee as their house is set alight. Norman knights charge on horseback with lances, defeating Saxon foes who fight the old-fashioned way on foot. The Bayeux Tapestry is famous as a contemporary record of the most important battle ever fought on British soil, the Battle of Hastings in 1066 that gave William of Normandy the kingdom he believed his by right. But even if it portrayed an insignificant conflict in a forgotten land it would be a great work of art. Illustration: Spencer Arnold/Getty Images
This is a masterpiece of war art. The 11th century artists who embroidered it filled their 70m long comic strip with telling details. A woman and child flee as their house is set alight. Norman knights charge on horseback with lances, defeating Saxon foes who fight the old-fashioned way on foot. The Bayeux Tapestry is famous as a contemporary record of the most important battle ever fought on British soil, the Battle of Hastings in 1066 that gave William of Normandy the kingdom he believed his by right. But even if it portrayed an insignificant conflict in a forgotten land it would be a great work of art. Illustration: Spencer Arnold/Getty Images
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