David Hockney slams plans to bring Bayeux Tapestry to UK as ‘madness’ in major intervention
Moving Bayeux Tapestry to UK could cause ‘irreversible damage’, warns David Hockney
- Renowned British artist David Hockney has strongly criticised plans to move the priceless 1,000-year-old Bayeux Tapestry from France to the British Museum for an exhibition.
- Writing exclusively in The Independent, Hockney described the proposed move as "madness" and "too big a risk", fearing "irreversible damage" to the fragile 70m-long artefact.
- He highlighted significant risks from changes in temperature, humidity, and light exposure, as well as the physical movement of the wool embroidery, which could lead to tearing, fading, or distortion.
- The eleventh-century tapestry, depicting the 1066 Norman Conquest, is set to be loaned to the UK as part of a cultural exchange while its home in Bayeux, Normandy, undergoes renovation.
- Hockney questioned the British Museum's motives, suggesting they want to "boast of numbers of visitors", and his concerns echo those of over 40,000 people who signed a petition against the loan.