Whether in paintings, with Gustave Moreau, or literature with René Barjavel(Les Dames à la Licorne) and J.K. Rowling, the unicorn has often aroused interest for its mysterious, mystical and symbolic side. An inspiration for the arts that the Musée de Cluny highlights with Magiques Licornes, an exhibition running from July 14, 2018 to February 25, 2019.
The exhibition takes as its starting point the famous tapestries held by the museum, La Dame à la Licorne, back home after a stint in Australia during the Paris cultural establishment's period of renovation. Woven around 1500, these tapestries show theimportance of the mythical animal in medieval times. Considered a magical creature, the unicorn is a symbol of chastity and innocence. It possesses a horn with anti-poison properties, and purifies liquids.
The exhibition aims to highlight " the diversity of contexts in which the unicorn was represented in the late Middle Ages, when the tapestries of The Hunt for the Unicorn [...] and The Lady of the Unicorn were woven ", as well as its posterity in art and literature. An animal represented in various guises by artists, taking on " a variety of meanings ".
Draperies, costumes, paintings... all are used to trace the representation of the unicorn throughout history, from the Middle Ages to the present day, and its influence on art. The exhibition closes with a final tribute to 14th-century hangings, featuring five tapestries by Claude Rutault. And the exhibition comes full circle.
(Credits: © RMN-Grand Palais (musée de Cluny - musée national du Moyen-Âge) / M. Urtado)
Dates and Opening Time
From July 14, 2018 to February 25, 2019
Location
Musée du Moyen-Age - Musée de Cluny
28 Rue du Sommerard
75005 Paris 5
Access
Metro line 10 "Cluny - La Sorbonne" station
Prices
Tarif réduit: €4
Plein tarif: €5
Official website
www.musee-moyenage.fr
More information
Open every day except Tuesday, from 9.15 a.m. to 5.45 p.m.
