The Guardian has published a modern-day version of the Bayeux tapestry, created by cartoonist Edith Pritchett, alongside a review of the original artwork by art critic Jonathan Jones. Both approaches reveal the medieval masterpiece's enduring relevance, with Pritchett depicting today's battles with online trolls, social media addiction, and the climate crisis, while Jones found the original's horror "freshly" striking at the British Museum.
Cartoonist Reimagines the Tapestry for the Digital Age
Edith Pritchett was commissioned by the Guardian's Saturday magazine to draw a contemporary take on the 11th-century embroidery, which is on public display in the UK for the first time since its creation. Her updated version appeared as a pullout poster in the print edition last weekend and as a special scrollable digital feature. Unlike the original, which tells the story of the Norman conquest of England in 1066, Pritchett's version depicts modern struggles with techno-feudalism, the climate crisis, the super-rich, Elon Musk, and what she calls "the online swirling vortex of hatred."
"I decided on the main topics such as techno-feudalism, the climate crisis, the super-rich, Elon Musk, the online swirling vortex of hatred," says Pritchett, "then I tried to work out how to piece it together into a kind of flowing narrative." She admitted feeling daunted by the task, saying, "I depressed myself by looking at the tapestry online and thinking about how beautiful and amazing it is. I thought, 'Oh no, I'm going to do this cheap rip-off of it'." However, she found inspiration in the challenge, adding, "I knew I was going to be wading into the big questions of today's age."
Art Critic Finds Fresh Horror in the Original
Jonathan Jones, the Guardian's art critic, approached the original tapestry at the British Museum with a deliberate attempt to avoid contemporary parallels. "I'm always against grafting contemporary issues on to [historic] works of art," he says. Yet, upon seeing it, he experienced a visceral response: "There is real horror in it – the horror of war – and it really did strike me very freshly." Jones explained his method of viewing, saying, "I have a fairly visual mind and when I go to an exhibition I avoid reading captions and text as much as possible. I don't read catalogues until years afterwards. If you focus on the visual experience, what you see is fresh and raw – you're not seeing it through other people's words."
The original tapestry stretches to 68.3 metres long, and Jones described the experience of viewing it as almost cinematic. His eyes were drawn to the intricate borders above and below the main narrative, which feature images of animals and symbolic portents. "So this felt like a whole multifaceted world that aspires to take in the whole of creation," he says. He was also surprised by the levity of some panels, noting, "The surreal and comedy aspects were surprising. It felt more contemporary than I thought it would be. It was more raw and shocking as well as funnier."
Modern Details and Digital Challenges
Pritchett's version includes specific modern symbols, such as an incel narrative along the bottom border, a bitcoin symbol beneath a superyacht, and wall-mounted mirrors reflecting social media-induced misery. She chose to omit some horrors like droughts and wildfires to avoid being reductive. "As an illustrator, you want to have a visual shorthand for things you're trying to represent, but you also want to give them dignity," she explains.
Building the digital version of Pritchett's illustration posed unique challenges for the Guardian's design team. "How do you show readers details in wide images when we're all looking at these little vertical screens without chopping them up or pinching and zooming?" asks Tara Herman, the Guardian's executive editor for design. The team's solution was an interactive format that combines vertical scrolling with horizontal unfolding, aiming to emulate the gallery experience. "Our interactive format is an attempt to emulate the experience of being in a gallery where you're taking your turn looking at a picture and pausing to take in different details," Herman adds.
The project's timing proved prescient, as the Guardian revealed last week that tech billionaire Peter Thiel had been granted a private viewing of the Bayeux tapestry at the British Museum ahead of British and French heads of state. The tapestry's political significance and its new digital counterpart highlight its enduring power to reflect the anxieties of the age, whether in 1066 or today.
