The Guardian newspaper reports that one of three known life-size, photographic and hand-coloured reproductions of the Bayeux Tapestry has been bought by the Bayeaux Museum. The tapestry was photographed in 1872 by the South Kensington Museum, now the V&A Museum, and six copies were originally made over a two year period. The Bayeaux Museum's recent acquisition cost £16,000 (plus buyer's premium, total £20,160) and came from the collection of Rolling Stone drummer Charlie Watts which was sold at Christie's last year. The V&A still holds the original negatives of the tapestry.
Read the article here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/29/bayeux-museum-lands-19th-century-reproduction-of-tapestry-for-16000
The original Christie's auction description and illustrations are here: https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/charlie-watts-literature-jazz-part-ii/victorian-full-size-replica-bayeux-tapestry-301/192658 The reproduction was previously sold at Bonhams in 2009 for £6000 (inc premium) alongside a fuller description: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/17616/lot/164/
The most authoritative study of the photography of the Tapestry is Ella Ravilious, 'The Bayeux Tapestry Photographed', The Burlington Magazine, v. 165, no. 1442 (May 2023). See: https://burlington.org.uk/archive/back-issues/202305
See the Bayeaux Tapestry Museum here: https://www.bayeuxmuseum.com/en/the-bayeux-tapestry/
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