Tapestry from Bayeux Cathedral, Cl. 22866 © GrandPalaisRmn / Michel Urtado
Tapestry from Bayeux Cathedral, Cl. 22866 © GrandPalaisRmn / Michel Urtado
In this tapestry, Léon Conseil, the Chancellor of Bayeux Cathedral, is depicted in prayer.
As Chancellor of Bayeux Cathedral, he gifted the church in 1499 with a tapestry depicting the Life of the Virgin, composed of six pieces, along with a cabinet to store the work, which was only to be displayed in the choir during feasts dedicated to the Virgin.
The donor is depicted alongside an abbot named Jean, who holds a crozier and has placed his mitre before him. Both are kneeling under the protection of Saint Exupère, the first Bishop of Bayeux, and a saint who may be Saint Paul. The brightly colored garments of the figures contrast with the background, which features light-toned architecture and sky.
In addition to this panel, the Musée de Cluny preserves another panel with three scenes from the Life of the Virgin. Two American museums, the Greenville County Museum of Art (South Carolina) and the Speed Art Museum in Louisville (Kentucky), hold one panel with three scenes and another with two fragments, respectively.
| Inventory number | Cl. 22866 |
|---|---|
| Width | 73 cm |
| Height | 130 cm |
| Original location | Bayeux Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux) |
| Medium | Tapestry ; Textile |
| Method of acquisition | Donation by Paulette et Clotilde Bacri (1972) |
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