On Line and Generating Immediacy.

While sitting in Medieval Art History, we were presented with a slide of the Bayeux Tapestry. A massive two-hundred-some foot long chronicle of the Battle of Hastings, which saw the death of King Harold and marked the beginning of Norman occupancy and rulership of ancient England by William the Conqueror. While the purpose of the tapestry and reason for its creation is up for a decent amount of speculation, my professor sought to point out an interesting part of the style of the piece, that is the use of line to deliver a sense of movement. She then described the influence of this new Norman style of art and, rightfully so, made the comparison between it and modern day (western) comics.

Hearing that comparison and seeing the images it immediately makes sense and can probably be easily accepted at face value. However, the similarities don't end at face value and once you start digging deeper and looking into the more acute and esoteric visual queues between the tapestry and comics some really interesting connections arise

One particular connection between the two is the use of line in generating motion and immediacy.

In modern day comics we are rather spoiled as far as the styles and accepted visual tricks to convey speed. Everything from the eastern tradition of abstraction.

to the use of "speed lines"

Otomo, Katsuhiro. "Akira" 

and the (sadly) less commonly used exaggeration.

Moore, Tradd. "Ghost Rider." New York: Marvel Comics, 2014. Print.

However, at the root of it all is a one-thousand year image. Which through simple tricks and changes in line-work can convey a vast array of motion and actions

Marching Calvary

A Breaking Charge

Relenting Infantry

Harold Slain (and some poor sap getting mowed down)

In any case, the Bayeux Tapestry is an excellent example of sequential art and still reveals how to use line to convey motion without the use of abstraction or "tricks;" instead focusing on the raw object and how to depict them in order to to create a sense of immediacy and action.