Palette, Pigments and Pictorial Narrative in 11th-Century England: The Use of Colour in the Bayeux Tapestry and the Old English Hexateuch

Lewis, Michael; Gameson, Richard

Abstract

This article examines how colour was used as a tool of pictorial narrative in the Bayeux Tapestry and the illustrated Old English Hexateuch, the two longest such cycles to survive from 11th-century England. The dyes employed for the former and the pigments of the latter are identified; the palettes that they permitted their respective artists to realize are set out; the colouring of cognate scenes are compared; and the general principles (such as they were) that affected the deployment of colour in the two works are explained.

Citation

Lewis, M., & Gameson, R. (online). Palette, Pigments and Pictorial Narrative in 11th-Century England: The Use of Colour in the Bayeux Tapestry and the Old English Hexateuch. Journal of the British Archaeological Association, https://doi.org/10.1080/00681288.2024.2328966

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 1, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Jun 28, 2024
• Deposit Date: Aug 29, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 29, 2024
• Journal: Journal of the British Archaeological Association
• Print ISSN: 0068-1288
• Electronic ISSN: 1747-6704
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00681288.2024.2328966
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2772650