US EditionDavid Hockney Says Moving Bayeux Tapestry to UK Is 'Madness'
David Hockney warns the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry risks irreversible damage from transport and increased exposure during its loan to the British Museum, insured for £800 million.
- Next year the Bayeux Tapestry is due to be shown at the British Museum, and David Hockney warned moving it risks irreversible damage after being placed in storage.
- While the Bayeux Museum is renovated, the tapestry is lent until July 2027 as part of reciprocal loans between French and British institutions, but David Hockney, who visited over 20 times, opposes the move.
- Conservators note the linen backing is weakened and the wool embroidery threads are vulnerable, risking tearing and distortion; the tapestry's 58 scenes, 626 characters, and 202 horses have been kept in tightly controlled Bayeux, Normandy conditions.
- More than 40,000 petitioners opposed the loan in August, and the British Museum said it is working closely with French conservators while the Treasury insured the tapestry for �800m.
- Listed among nearly 600 Unesco entries, the tapestry's cultural status raises stakes as French art experts warn it is too delicate to transport, while French officials dispute those concerns in the broader Anglo-French cultural exchange context.
30 Articles
30 Articles
The 11th century Tapestry loan was announced in July by French President Emmanuel Macron during a visit to the United Kingdom. It is to be exhibited for a year in London from September 2026.
leprogres.fr
British artist David Hockney described the loan of tapestry as "insanity," evoking the vulnerability of embroidery.
The British artist is concerned about the "too great risks" of moving the 70-metre embroidery to the British Museum. His loan is a "madness" given the "frailty of his canvas".
Daily Journal
UK's Hockney warns moving Bayeux Tapestry would be 'madness'
The British Museum Thursday vowed to protect the Bayeux Tapestry, after renowned UK artist David Hockney warned that sending it across the Channel from France for an exhibition this year was "madness".
The artwork will leave Normandy and cross the English Channel to be exhibited at the British Museum in London from September 2026.
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