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History of Tapestry Timeline
(c. 3rd century BCE–Present)Origins and historical context
Norman and Anglo-Saxon embroidery traditions develop
800 - 1099
Tapestry fragments found in Scandinavia date from the ninth century, and Norman and Anglo-Saxon embroidery is thought to have developed from this tradition. By the tenth century, wall-hangings were common, and contemporary English and Norman texts praised the skills of Anglo-Saxon seamstresses.
Image source: Bayeux Tapestry
Wall-hangings become common in medieval Europe
900 - 1199
Wall-hangings were widespread by the tenth century. Mural paintings imitating draperies survive in France and Italy, while twelfth-century sources mention other wall-hangings in Normandy and France.
The tapestry is probably commissioned by Bishop Odo
1000 - 1099
Twentieth-century scholarly analysis concluded that the tapestry was probably commissioned by William's half-brother, Bishop Odo of Bayeux. Odo became Earl of Kent and served as regent of England when William was absent in Normandy.
The tapestry receives historical names
1000 - 1899
The canons of Bayeux Cathedral called the work the Telle du Conquest, or Cloth of the Conquest. Eighteenth-century sources used names such as Toilette de la Saint-Jean and Toilette du duc Guillaume, while nineteenth-century writers sometimes called it the Tapestry of Queen Matilda.
The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the Norman Conquest
1064 - 1066
The embroidered cloth narrates events from the final years of Edward the Confessor's reign through the Battle of Hastings. It follows Harold Godwinson's activities in Normandy and William, Duke of Normandy's, conquest of the English throne.
The Battle of Hastings is fought
Oct 14, 1066
The Battle of Hastings took place on 14 October 1066, less than three weeks after the Battle of Stamford Bridge. The tapestry culminates in William's victory over Harold, although it does not provide the wider context of the earlier battle.
Image source: Battle of Hastings
The tapestry may be designed for Bayeux Cathedral
1077
Andrew Norton concluded that the tapestry was designed specifically to be hung in Bayeux Cathedral and appeal to a Norman audience. He proposed that it was probably made for Bishop Odo's display at the cathedral's dedication in 1077.
The tapestry gains competing theories of authorship
1900 - 2012
The tapestry's origins have remained controversial. Howard B. Clarke proposed in 2012 that Scolland, abbot of St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury, designed its narrative, while Christine Grainge suggested Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury. Other scholars have proposed Saint-Florent Abbey in Saumur.
Bayeux preservation and scholarship
The tapestry is listed in the Bayeux Cathedral inventory
1476
The earliest known written reference to the tapestry appears in a 1476 inventory of the treasures of Bayeux Cathedral. The inventory shows that it was hung annually for the week of the Feast of St John the Baptist.
The tapestry survives the sack of Bayeux
1562
The tapestry survived the Huguenot sack of Bayeux in 1562. The next certain reference to it dates from 1724, contributing to the uncertainty surrounding parts of its later history.
Key Facts
- Early tapestry traditions developed in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Peru, and other regions, serving decorative, religious, and practical purposes.
- During the European Middle Ages, tapestries became important symbols of wealth and power among churches, monarchs, and aristocratic households.
- Major medieval workshops flourished in cities such as Arras, Tournai, and Brussels, producing narrative works with complex imagery.
- The Renaissance expanded tapestry design through collaborations between weavers and celebrated artists, including Raphael and Peter Paul Rubens.
- Although machine-made textiles challenged traditional workshops during the Industrial Revolution, contemporary artists revived tapestry as an innovative fine-art medium.
Source
This History of Tapestry timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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