Story of the illustrations History is.. Walking to Waltham Abbey History in stitches |
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Setting the overall styleAlso, as the Bayeux Tapestry and its Preface – (for more of which, see www.battleoffulford.org) was such a prominent source of reference, and inspiration, I wanted to create a style for my drawings that emulated the almost comic nature of the characters with which it’s populated.
If you look closely at some of the expressions among the foot soldiers and cavalry men, I think it’s possible to identify a definite mischievous bent to the needle workers’ designs! (A favourite book from my own childhood which has focused very closely on recreating the Bayeux style is Gillian Clements’ The Normans Are Coming!' Macmillan, 1987.)
The rather simplistic figures, though, while certainly suited to the limited manoeuvrability of an embroidery needle, weren’t quite what we were looking for in this format (i.e. paper). I hope what I achieved in these portraits is a sense of the subjects as very credible characters, experiencing recognisably human emotions and responses to the events surrounding and involving them:
The illustration depicting King Harold’s demise (page 37) shows the lesser-known (and less sensational) version of events, now more widely accepted as the actual circumstances of his death (doubtless after many arguments about the exact placing – and significance, thereof – of his name in relation to the characters of the Bayeux Tapestry), while the Norse King Harald is shown as the unlucky recipient of an arrow to the jugular (page 32). Other details from the drawings that arose from reading around the battles (and the period within which the events of 1066 nestle), but mainly from Charles’ expert direction, were:
Ho Ho HO... In addition, astute readers will probably also have noticed a few not-necessarily-historically-accurate characters (not to mention an undeniably anachronistic [and empty] packet of sticking plasters in the sweaty grasp of the disgraced Swein, brother of Harold Godwinson). If they’ve escaped your attention, look out for:
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