3 / History and Memory

• • Lienzo of IhuitlanMexican School, Oaxaca	Lictors Returning to Brutus the Bodies of his SonsJacques-Louis David (French, 1748–1825)	Memory Board (lukasa)Luba artist, Democratic Republic of the Congo	The Railroad Stations Were at Times So Over-Packed with People Leaving that Special Guards Had to Be Called in to Keep Order from the Migration SeriesJacob Lawrence (American, 1917–2000)	Surrender of BredaDiego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (Spanish, 1599–1660)	“Many fall in battle and King Harold is killed” (detail) from the Bayeux TapestryUnknown artist(s), France or England
    “Alexander Fights the Monster of Habash” from the ShahnamaUnknown artist, Tabriz, Iran	“Battle of Lanka, between Rama and Ravana, King of the Rakshasas” from the RamayanaRajasthani School, India	Column of Trajan Roman artist(s)	Stu-mick-o-súcks, Buffalo Bull’s Back Fat, head chief, Blood TribeGeorge Catlin (American, 1796–1872)	Memorial to the Murdered Jews of EuropePeter Eisenman (American, b. 1932)	American Marines Raising American Flag on Mount Suribachi, Iwo JimaRosenthal, Joe (American, 1911–2006)
    Mulackstrasse 37, Berlin from The Writing on the Wall, Projections in Berlin’s Jewish QuarterShimon Attie (American, b. 1957)	Untitled, page number 21, from the Arrow’s Elk Society LedgerArrow (Elk Society), Cheyenne (active 19th century), Central Plains	Racing Clocks Run Slow: Archaeology of a RacetrackShimon Attie (American, b. 1957)	The Triumphal Arch of Maximilian IAlbrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528) and others	The Triumph of Juliers from the Marie de’ Medici CyclePeter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)

expert perspective

David Bernstein Professor of European and English History, Sarah Lawrence

“

The Bayeux Tapestry, one of the most famous works of art from the European Middle Ages, was made to commemorate the Norman invasion of England in 1066. The aged King Edward died without heir, leaving a contested succession. There were two claimants—one an Englishman named Harold and the other, William, Duke of Normandy. With about 6000 soldiers, William, the Duke of the Normans, came to England to exercise what he said was his legitimate right to be the king of England. Not only does it depict political and military affairs rather than the lives of saints or scenes from the bible, it depicts one of the turning points in all of European history.

What we now believe on much evidence is that the master designer and the embroiderers were English. So here we have a paradox of the conquered commissioning the conquered people to commemorate a victory over the English, a victory which meant the loss of their property, the loss of their independence, and having new overlords from France. The fact that the English made the tapestry raises many interesting questions about whether or not the English were including an alternative narrative to that which was being promoted by the Norman propagandists. One example is that when Harold, the English claimant, is shown in the tapestry he is always identified as Harold the King, Harold Rex. Whereas the Normans described him in their written propaganda accounts as Harold the Usurper, Harold the Tyrant.

In the borders sometimes we have animals telling stories and these stories come from the fables of Aesop. Aesop was a slave. And he wrote his animal stories as a way of criticizing those who were more powerful. The fact that the English designers include many Aesopic fables raises the question of whether or not we have a counter-narrative to the themes that justify William in claiming the English throne.”