The Lady And The Unicorn

by Elisabeth Delahaye

From the back cover: The Lady and the Unicorn tapestry is famous for its brilliantly simple yet enigmatic compositions and warm colors, its appealing female figures and animals taken from life and mythology, as well as its flower-strewn "millefleur" background.

Over the last two centuries, much has been written and many theories advanced about this fascinating six-piece hanging, which has significantly enhanced our understanding of the work. This book presents an updated overview, and it aims, if not to solve all of its mysteries, at least to provide some answers to the questions posed by the reader and viewer.

Genres: History, Medieval, Art, France, Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed, well-illustrated description of the Dane a la Licorne tapestries in the Musee de Cluny in Paris. The author does an excellent job of putting the work in its artistic and social context.

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up in the gift shop of the Cluny Museum in Paris after falling in love all over again with these lovely tapestries. The book does a wonderful job of identifying all the plants and animals scattered throughout the tapestries. It also reveals the probable identity of the family for whom the tapestries were made. The scholarship and reproductions are stellar.

The only reason I hold off giving a fifth star is because I would have liked some information about the women who wove these tapestries. The book started down that road by explaining the process by which the illustration would have been designed -- and proposing an artist who may have been responsible for it, but stops short of describing the loom on which the tapestries were woven. I don't know if it was made in a home or in a workshop -- or in a factory. I don't know if each weaver would have worked separately, never seeing the whole cycle of tapestries, or if the pieces were woven simultaneously. It's a minor issue when there's so much else that's wonderful about this book, but my curiosity is engaged.

[Hattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now the county’s in lockdown, instead of going out to interesting places, I can revisit interesting places using the books my grandparents bought from museum gift shops around Europe!

This was a book about the beautiful lady and the unicorn tapestries in Paris - and it was very interesting to read about all the little creatures and the meanings behind the images.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative book about a series of exquisite tapestries.

[LuAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorough description and background on these amazing tapestries which I’d seen recently in Paris and I now own a reproduction of one.

[Catherine Corman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here are more festivities; nobody is invited to them.

-Rilke on The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries

[Mahala · Rating 5 out of 5]

A meticulously researched deep dive into a beloved series of tapestries. Picked it up casually on a visit to the Musée du Cluny and it turned out to be an enchanting read.