Bayeux Tapestry Sustained Minor Damage Discovered Following Trip to England, Artist Claude Lévêque Ordered to Stand Trial for Rape and Sexual Assault of Minors, and More: Morning Links for September 11, 2026

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Good Morning!

• Conservators discovered two new “small breaks” in the Bayeux Tapestry, which appeared after its transfer to the British Museum from France.
• Artist Claude Lévêque was ordered to stand trial in a French criminal court for rape and sexual assault of three minors. 
• The Picasso Museum in Paris is making and selling eight exclusive bronze sculptures cast from Pablo Picasso’s original plaster molds to help pay for a planned renovation.

The Headlines

DAMAGE CONTROL. The Bayeux Tapestry sustained two new “small breaks,” discovered while checking its condition following its journey to London from France, said Thalia Bajon-Bouzid, one of the conservators responsible for the tapestry, via a written email sent to The New York Times. The news, which surprisingly contradicts widespread reports that the tapestry was not damaged at all during its controversial transfer to London, was buried near the end of a Times feature about the tapestry exhibit opening to the public yesterday at the British Museum. Most of the story addresses public reactions to viewing the 1,000-year-old relic, and what has been dubbed “Bayeux fever” in England. As for the damage, it is not considered major, with both breaks “a few millimeters long,” according to Bajon-Bouzid. Still, the news has worried some, like the founder of conservative French art publication La Tribune de l’Art, Didier Rykner. He reiterated what many experts feared: that moving the tapestry had been too great a risk. Plus, it still has a return trip to make.

FALLEN STAR. Claude Lévêque, 73, an international art star who represented France at the 2009 Venice Biennale, was ordered to stand trial in a French criminal court for rape and sexual assault of three minors, Libération revealed. His lawyers have filed an appeal, which could further delay a trial that has taken years to get to this stage. According to court documents leaked to Libération, Lévêque is accused of using “his position and aura as a renowned contemporary artist” to abuse three victims, aged between eight and 18 during the time of the alleged crimes, between 1989 and 2007.

The Digest

The Picasso Museum in Paris has secured the rights to make and sell eight exclusive bronze sculptures cast from Pablo Picasso’s original plaster molds, in order to help pay for a planned €50 million ($58 million) renovation of the museum. [Le Monde]

A recent renovation of the New York Studio School, a National Historic Landmark in Greenwich Village, revealed hidden murals by the artist and designer Robert E. Locher, as well as British artist Cecily Brown. [The New York Times]

Tschabalala Self’s bronze sculpture of a Black woman walking with confidence and flair was unveiled yesterday, becoming the 16th commission for the Fourth Plinth displayed in Trafalgar Square, London. [The Art Newspaper]

Today, a major Yayoi Kusama show opens in Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum, less than a month after the artist died at age 97. [France 24]

The Kicker

MEMORIAL BLUE. It’s been 25 years since the September 11 attacks, and many will remember, the sky was a strikingly clear blue that warm day, now known as “Memorial Blue.” For this anniversary commemoration, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum is inviting people around the world to participate in its annual campaign, “Remember the Sky,” by posting a photograph of the sky today (and tagging it), reports USA Today. The idea was inspired by artist Spencer Finch’s installation, “Trying to remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning,” made of 2,983 watercolor squares painted shades of blue.