UWG News Item
Contact: UWG Public Relations Office
Phone (678) 839-6464, FAX (678) 839-6645
ucm@westga.edu
Lecture and viewing of famous Bayeux Tapestry
February 3, 2006
CARROLLTON, GA - The University of West Georgia and the Georgia Collegiate Honors Council will present a lecture and viewing celebrating the Bayeux Tapestry on Friday, Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m. at Kathy Cashen Hall on the campus of the University of West Georgia. It is a free event with a dessert reception following the lecture.
The
Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most famous works of art created in the
Middle Ages. Measuring 231 feet in length, it illustrates 58 scenes of
William of Normandy’s Conquest of England in 1066. The only full-scale
reproduction of the Bayeux Tapestry in the United States hangs in the
Humanities Building on the UWG campus.
Dr. John Micheal Crafton, professor of English at UWG, is writing a book on the tapestry and will give the lecture.
“The mysteries behind the production and meaning of the tapestry are fascinating,” said Crafton. “There is the rich and imaginative literature surrounding the tapestry, there is the amazing variety of artistic styles reflected in the tapestry and there is the fact that it survived to the present day.”
Crafton teaches Chaucer, medieval literature surveys, the history of the English language and critical theory at UWG. He is considered to be an emerging expert on the Bayeux Tapestry.
“It’s a process of reading the tapestry and the narrative and lyrical design,” said Crafton. “Repeat visits are recommended.”
Atlanta artist Margaret ReVille produced the West Georgia replica. More than 1,000 hours were spent in research, testing and comparison of design and colors. More than 3,000 hours were dedicated to the replica.
Dr. E.D. Wheeler, a former judge and former dean of students at Oglethorpe University, commissioned the work and donated it to UWG.
For information, call 678-839-6582. To get a glimpse of the Bayeux Tapestry, go to www.westga .edu/~artdept.
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