Courtesy of UNG Reports ————— On the Dahlonega campus of the University of North Georgia will welcome visitors to the Bayeux Tapestry Replica Exhibit at the Convocation Center on September 14-19 from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. The display includes a recorded tour, and groups have the choice to schedule a live walkthrough with a trained guide.
Measuring 224 feet in length, the acrylic painting on canvas is a full-size copy of the famous eleventh-century Bayeux embroidery located in France, and the only one of its kind in the United States.
Like the original, the UNG replica vividly captures the dramatic story of Harold Godwinson’s defeat by William the Conqueror’s army at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
In 2023, the replica was visited by hundreds, including tourists from neighboring counties and a viewers from as far as North Carolina.
The painting was completed in 1987 by the late artist Margaret ReVille, then a recent graduate from Atlanta College of Art.
Last year’s visitors praised ReVille’s skill at depicting the embroidery’s lively Medieval-styled warriors, horses, weapons, armory, and the English landscape.
“Amazing that the artist was able to capture the original in such detail.” said Katherine Miller, a UNG art student.
Abby Roma, a public relations major, called it “an absolutely beautiful work of art.”
A talented colorist, ReVille was privately commissioned by Judge Edd Wheeler from Tucker, who was always fascinated by the dramatic Norman triumph over the Anglo-Saxons. After Wheeler donated the replica to UNG in 2014, the textile artwork underwent cleaning and restoration and has been carefully preserved since.
Additionally, on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 1:30 p.m., Dr. Brian Corrigan, senior professor of Renaissance Literature and expert on the Bayeux Tapestry at UNG, will discuss the fascinating history of the original embroidery that inspired the replica. Corrigan’s talk will be held in rooms 218/219 at the Convocation Center, near the displayed artwork on the building’s upper level. All events are free and open to the public.
