‘Extremely fragile’ Bayeux Tapestry at risk from British Museum ‘vanity project’, expert says
A leading art history expert, one of the few people to have examined the Bayeux Tapestry closely, has warned that its “extremely fragile” condition would “not be worth” the risk of moving it to the British Museum.
Professor Shirley Ann Brown, who has been researching the priceless 11th-century work for decades, said: Independent The experience of examining the relic convinced him that the risks of transporting it from his home in Normandy, France, to London outweighed any reward.
“The tapestry is irreplaceable,” he said Independent. “Any physical movement or change made in a controlled environment has a detrimental effect. No matter how much care is taken, there is always an element of risk and it is not worth it.”
It comes after artist David Hockney described the plans as “madness” on Wednesday. write specifically for IndependentMr Hockney said moving the tapestry across the canal was “careless” and an “unnecessary conservation ordeal”.
The historic tapestry depicting the Norman conquest of 1066 will attract millions of visitors to the British Museum, where it will be displayed as part of a nine-month loan.
But the plans have come under scrutiny from historians and conservationists, who say its delicate condition has exposed it to irreparable tears, disintegration and damage.
Prof Brown, professor of art history at York University in Toronto, said: Independent He said that in 2020, he had the opportunity to examine the condition of the tapestry without its glass protection.
“This is a 900-year-old, extremely fragile, embroidered fabric that was poorly handled and damaged at various points in its existence and has been repaired and undergone at least a few early ‘restorations’ since it came into public view in the 1730s,” he said.
He added that the rewards from educational benefits, as well as the potential financial appeal to the British Museum, did not outweigh the physical risks associated with moving the relic.
Such hazards include opening and repackaging artwork from storage boxes multiple times; Prof Brown said he believed the greatest risk of damage occurred at this point.
“Despite all the planning and professionalism, there is always an element of risk when physically handling something as extremely fragile as the Bayeux Tapestry,” he said.
He also warned that protesters the tapestry might target could cause harm, and said crowd surveillance and security had to be “excellent” to ensure the tapestry was protected.
Asked whether he agreed with Mr Hockney’s claim that the plans were based on “vanity and symbolic educational value”, he added: “I certainly see this as a ‘vanity’ project fueled by both political forces and competition in the museum world.”
Exhibition officials insist conservationists are experienced and capable of managing the daunting prospect of ferrying the 70-metre-long medieval artifact across the English Channel.
A British Museum spokesman previously said: “The British Museum has a world-leading conservation and collections management team experienced in the handling and care of such materials; they are working closely with colleagues in France on the display of the tapestry.”
