The Unicorn Tapestries

[@JoeStoneArt]

Maybe its my imagination running a little too wild here but I think, that the fragments show the unicorn coming back to life after the hunt (maybe due to the virtue of the maiden) and then living in capture. I do not think its pomegranate drippings but actually healing wounds or scars from the hunt. I think a motive of Rebirth would fit the narrative quite nicely.

[@Eblis840]

I've heard this theory before from a tour guide/ art historian, definitely not a stretch, spot-on!

[@JoeStoneArt]

@@Eblis840 uhh, lovely! Thank you

[@Eblis840]

@@JoeStoneArt forgot to mention the pomegranate is supposedly the fruit eve bit into not a apple in the garden of Eden.

[@havcola6983]

​@@Eblis840 That was the case in a percursor myth about Hades and Persephone but nothing is explicit so medieval artists interpreted it loads of ways. Mushrooms, figs, grapes, wheat... The "apple" thing comes from a mistranslation "evil", most likely, but it has been argued that it was actually an intentional _pun_ that just caught on because it might as well be an apple and they're easy to depict.

[@katherinec6031]

Yes this interpretation seems right to me. I wonder how they missed it.

[@michelleb7399]

I was just at The Cloisters a week ago. I then took a wonderful walk all through the park. It was one of the best days of my 8 days in Manhattan.

[@bart8768]

The Cloisters Museum is an amazing museum, I definitely recommend making the visit. A little out of the way in NYC, but well worth it because it makes you feel so far removed and it takes you back to the Middle Ages

[@dismurrart6648]

Theres one like that in Paris too and it really feels like time traveling!

[@jppagetoo]

I have visited it twice. These tapestries are highlights but that seems a bit unfair to the amazing collection of items at the Cloisters.

[@barbarajames8610]

Thank you. Very well done. I saw the copies made at Stirling castle in Scotland. They were copied from these in New York to replace the set destroyed centuries ago. I believe they said that originally there were seven sets of these made. Again, thank you for the presentation.

[@Eblis840]

I've had the pleasure of viewing these tapestries countless times since grade school aswell as have had multiple tour guides, art historians and even a Mason friend of mine explain thier supposed origins,theories and esoteric symbolism. still they maintain a air of mystery to me...truly beautiful. Wonderful video, take this subscription.

[@marionmarino1616]

I saw these many times. Absolutely extraordinary. The Cloisters should be seen if at all possible. Nothing like it, and in a beautiful setting overlooking the Hudson River.

[@michaeljosephschmitz5380]

My favorite tapestries! Great little condensed video on all the hidden symbolism! Grateful to live so close to this museum!

[@AdelTheForsaken]

Growing Up The Last Unicorn movie was only escape from the turmoil of my childhood. I didn't think those tapestries were actually real!!!

[@thenablade858]

There is another tapestry called ‘The Lady and the Unicorn.’ Tapestries were especially popular in 15th and 16th century Western Europe (with the best weavers from Brussels), and this was when the subject of unicorns were at their most popular.

[@marthavillegas6250]

Such beautiful tapestries! I love and appreciate your knowledge and work. Thank you!

[@marqbarq5977]

We visited these in NYC before the pandemic. This place will take your breath away. So much to explore. Can’t wait to see if you cover more. Great work.

[@aracelimarthabarriosbustab8744]

I have the opportunity of visiting this marvelous place,the tapestries no words to describe them ,very special place

[@jeanlanz2344]

The Cloisters and the Unicorn Tapestries are gorgeous, as are the Cloister gardens. Fantastic photography and narration. Thank you.

[@robinchurch5658]

When I spent a week in NYC about ten years with much shopping, sight-seeing of the typical tourist places and attending Broadway plays, visiting The Cloisters was far and away my favorite experience. It truly felt like being in midieval Europe for a few hours. I have always loved the unicorn tapestry and to see it and all the other treasures in such a magical place was almost an out of body experience that I will always treasure.

[@clarkfroelich1778]

I'm wondering if the pomegranate seeds dripping onto the unicorn is meant to look similar to the wounds inflicted by the hunters? It seems like there's an comparison/analogy being made between the self sacrifice involved in loving another person and the blows delivered by hunters.

[@pennypop408]

Please read my comment :)

[@graffic13]

When the last eagle flies Over the last crumbling mountain And the last lion roars At the last dusty fountain In the shadow of the forest Though she may be old and worn They will stare unbelieving At the Last Unicorn When the first breath of winter Throught the flowers is icing And you look to the north And a pale moon is rising And it seems like all is dying And would leave the world to mourn In the distance hear her laughter Of the Last Unicorn

[@Pollicina_db]

That movie truly captures the gothic style of the tapestries

[@MeganBacon]

Omg I didn’t know anyone else thought of this movie when they saw these

[@DrDIY1]

​@@Pollicina_dbthe tapestry is in the movie

[@spanistory]

Lovely presentation and so joyful to watch. Thank you so much.

[@katwatson2414]

Enjoyed this! I had no idea they were so detailed

[@enchi6138]

Fascinating! Thank you so much for making these videos.

[@Mr19thcenturyman]

Thank you for the tour. Wedding gifts of two houses tying the knot seems the obvious. And as with custom furniture look to be made to fit certain wall spaces.

[@mygodsnameiskyle]

I did my final project in my Art History class on these!

[@anthonyboarman3833]

Are these related to the Unicorn tapestries in France.

[@mygodsnameiskyle]

@@anthonyboarman3833 not sure. I know that they are farmed out to a lot of museums

[@bevmacdonald9008]

The Lion and the Unicorn tapestry in London is definitely a panel from this series. A maiden sits between two trees, at least one is oak. The unicorn rests both feet in the maiden's lap while it looks into a mirror she holds. The Lion stands holding a flag with 3 crescent moons, on the opposite side of the damsel. She is richly dressed and her hair is styled as if to emulate the miraculous horn. I think the arm you noted in your observation ( 7:25 ) belongs to this other damsel and that panel foreshadows the one I saw. I saw it more than 20 years ago, when I was in London, it was stunning. It is huge! Larger even than those featured here. It adorned a long wall in the ballroom of the palace on the River Thames, near the Whitehall Banqueting House. Perhaps it is the panel that concludes the story. Later Edit: I now know the one I saw is part of a collection of 6 at the Musee de Cluny.

[@Eblis840]

Consider making a video on the "Tomb Effigy of Jean d'Alluye" also housed in the Cloisters museum, He was a Templar knight depicted with a Chinese sword, only one of it's kind in the world. Yes the Templars had a hand in establishing the silk road but still,a Templar night depicted with it on his tomb really emphasizes the craftsmanship and superior foraging techniques aswell as the alchemical knowledge the Chinese had in comparison.

[@LJ7000]

Baffles my mind how these were made more so than modern graphics are made in computers

[@virginiaheadleymaserang]

Is there any connection to these tapestries and those of the lady and the unicorn that are in the Cluny in Paris? The unicorn looks so similar in the two works.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

The Met has a bulletin on the two sets, you can see it here: www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/A_Blessing_of_Unicorns

[@bevmacdonald9008]

They really do. Not only the unicorn, but all the life. I was sure the one I saw in London belonged to this set shown here. I wonder of the stories of creation and the connection between to two sets.

[@SusanRubinsky]

The pomegranate is also conjectured to be the "apple" in the Garden of Eden since apples were not native to the part of the world where the Old Testament was written.

[@--Paws--]

I miss going there.

[@Eggs_hatching]

These are my favorite tapestries. Go Cloisters! Fun fact: they used the tapestries in the Harry Potter movies in the griffendor Common Room. Spotted it in a second XD

[@tigerpuck]

Wouldn’t a resurrected unicorn support the idea of christ as unicorn?

[@Poor_righteous_teacher7]

What if: it isn’t all myth and once upon a time these beings were actual really roaming free?

[@BorselinoThadchack]

you know as a former NY-er I ve never seen these, but now they are definitely on my list! Thank you

[@MomentsGap]

Thing these worth 3 episodes at least

[@cmecre8629]

with all the references to christianity, perhaps the unicorn is resurrected

[@themysteriousdomainmoviepalace]

Beautiful! If the unicorn symbolizes Christ, perhaps he is resurrected in the garden, ie: Virgin Mary.

[@julieking5151]

I didn’t realize that killing unicorns was part of the lore, how terrible, but exactly what people do with exotic animals wanting to possess them. Yes it does fit with the Christ Analogy.

[@Japarak353yoko]

🇯🇵When I was student.I read Rilke(Notes of Malte) and impressed the Tapestry. and in 2013 I was finally able to see the real thing at the National Museum of Art in Osaka. I didn't know in New York with such a nice atmosphere! I want to visit someday! 🌹Moulin🌼Fleur 🌹 ありがとうございます

[@StefanSte]

Maybe the unicorn came back to live after meeting the maiden. That would explain why it still has the wounds

[@vanaals]

The question of order has me wondering as well. If I understand the mythology correctly, unicorns were also often used as symbols for unwed maidens. And, in some older cultures, there was a tradition of "capturing" a maiden to become a wife. Kidnapping her, from her father's house, and delivering her to her husband's family. Perhaps the unicorn alone is the first panel and the fragments are from the second panel. A maiden alone, in her father's protection. Then, in the same corral, sitting with her handmaidens. Possibly with her matron/mother being the missing figure with an arm around the unicorn's neck. Both unicorn figures have coats that are stained with red, yet no injury has yet been inflicted. Possibly both are pomegranate stains. The rest fall in the accepted order: The hunters gather and are alerted; The miracle of purity (evidence of the maiden's chastity); The chase; The capture then delivery to the noble family. In that order, one could speculate that the tapestries were commissioned by a woman who may not have been happily married. Losing her maiden freedoms after being forced into marriage to secure a political alliance. Certainly, when viewed in this manner, the maiden would feel that her life had ended. Hence the portrayal of the death of the unicorn. Side note: I have used the image of the solitary unicorn in a set design for The Lion in Winter. It decorated Alais' chambers as she was the prize for whomever was to become the next king after Henry.

[@liamwhitney509]

Beautiful. Thank you.

[@robertschooner1812]

I took a ton of photos and some video by the way you're not out of video tape at the cloister. But I have beautiful content! And these tapestries are amazing! In fact the entire museum is amazing! It has the best cataloged biblical art you can find I dare say in the world. It is a part of the New York metropolitan museum of art after all! That in itself gives it a sense of provenance. And these tapestries in person will not disappoint. The unicorn seems to be the subject matter of the figures in the tapestry wrangling capturing and even in some tapestries torturing. I myself could not find any reference to the unicorn excluding that it was mysterious and elusive.

[@yensid4294]

I have a very large, thick book with many full color illustrations I got several years ago all about The Unicorn Tapestries. I'd have to check to see which set specifically but I remember it being stated in the text that The Unicorn -Maiden myth was a symbol for Holy Marriage in the Middle Ages & the unicorn itself was an analog for Christ. I noticed initials stitched into some of the tapestries & was wondering if they could be a clue as to who may have commissioned them? Anything else heraldic possibly? Something that could tie into a prominent family's name marking an important event like a wedding perhaps? Hmmmm. The photos in my book really didn't capture how beautiful (&large) these tapestries are. They look like they were made yesterday--absolutely pristine condition. Wow!

[@robertafierro5592]

Beautiful.Cloisters!

[@GorillaGal]

no mention of the frog in the last tapestry? i would like to know more about the frog....

[@mbww8572]

How does this series compare to the Lady and the Unicorn series at the Cluny in Paris?

[@smarthistory-art-history]

The Met published a great essay about the two sets, A Blessing of Unicorns: books.google.com/books?id=oVz5DwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

[@SantaFishes101]

my grandmother has the unicorn in the pen as some kind of art...though somehow I cannot remember in what capacity (blanket, wall hanging, etc.)...I've always wondered its origin. It always seemed so mysterious.

[@megenberg8]

the unicorn can't leap over the fence because he is chained to the tree.

[@wiltrudfriesch6781]

I guess they used that for the movie the Last Unicorn.

[@romanticenglish]

Absolutely brilliant

[@jaredsmith112]

Those are beautiful

[@newwavepop]

i just dont understand why they would want to hunt the Unicorn in the first place, if they ascribe all these great things to it then why would they want to hunt and kill it. also where did the tapestries come from? how did the museum acquire them.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

I'll leave the motives of mythical hunters and their mythical quarry alone, but I can answer your question as to where the tapestries came from. As we noted in the video, no one has yet figured out who commissioned them or who originally owned them. We are on firmer ground however by 1680 when we know they were in Paris and were owned by the Comtes de La Rochefoucauld and then François VI de La Rochefoucauld. François VIII de La Rochefoucauld had them at the château de Verteuil from 1728 until 1793 when they were taken during the French Revolution. Apparently the tapestries were used to cover potatoes. A later Comtes de La Rochefoucauld got them back and we know they were back at the château de Verteuil in 1856. Then Comte Aimery de La Rochefoucauld sold them to Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Jr. in 1923. The Rockefellers kept them in their New York City apartment until they gave them to The Met in 1937.

[@newwavepop]

@@smarthistory-art-history that is an impressive story in its own right and an impressive lineage of owners. thank you.

[@bevmacdonald9008]

@@smarthistory-art-history I wonder if these are connected to the one I saw in London, known as the Lion and Unicorn. It is said to be one from a group of six. I wonder how it ended up in the Palace at Whitehall where I saw it at the end of the last century. While Richard the Lionheart's connection to Aquitaine France is a few hundred years before the making of these tapestries, the subsequent rulers of England could all follow their lineage back. Regions of France regularly fell under or out of England's control. The tapestries' early known existence is contemporary to King Henry viii in England and it is said he died at this same palace. I must wonder if they had at one point belonged to Henry. Or, had they been commissioned by royalty? The barony de La Rochefoucauld was created by a contemporary and patron of Da Vinci, King Francis I in 1528.

[@bevmacdonald9008]

The images are not telling a literal story. The unicorn is symbolic of Christ in particular or Christianity in general. The hunters represent those who deny, ridicule, and persecute. To think of them as specific to Jesus, they would be the Roman guards in Gethsemane and Golgotha. Also, each panel's piece of the story is representative of each of the 5 senses with the sixth tapestry (the Lion and the Unicorn) representing " Heart's Desire" (...intuition? Self knowledge? Holy Spirit? ) Unless you're a Dan Brown Da Vinci Code fan, then the hunters represent the forces of Evil hunting down the descendant of Christ...

[@smarthistory-art-history]

@@bevmacdonald9008 The Dan Brown comment made me laugh. Please see The 2020 Met Bulletin I mentioned in another comment: A Blessing of Unicorns: @t​

[@TuckerSP2011]

One of the tapestries has a different set of initials on it. Perhaps there were more than one set made? I have seen these with my own eyes as a teenager and they are magnificent.

[@nickoforesta5788]

How original are these tapestries? Have they been restored at some point because those colors are incredible considering their age. What were they using to dye the wool?

[@kathleenhensley5951]

I am using the tapestries in a novel I am attempting to write.

[@a-complished4406]

Fantastic!

[@decnijfkris3706]

for as far I am acquainted the initials are abreviations from Latin

[@katharinew4218]

Stevens voice is so soft I really struggle to hear him

[@decnijfkris3706]

very very strange. i am brought up in Brussels and I do not know from the unicorn tapestries. I also never heard of the Cloisters. Indeed the scenery could depict old Brussels cuz that lays on a mount. Bruges is flat. Also a fact, Brussels was renowned for tapestry. The strange thing is, if that is the city of Brussels, I see no refence to a church or to a catherdral of to a big market place, to the halls. On the other hand I see similarities to old Brussels Rue de Boucher style of building houses. In school education we normally should have learned about the figure of the unicorn in history and in art history, which ain't the case. The only reference to it I can find or can think of is a comic decribing the virging luring the unicorn into the woods, then it gets killed AND transforms into a prince. They marry then. Also very strange is that that unicorn was kept hostage on another planet in that comic. Another strange think is why this tapestry is so conceiling about the Christ and projects the Christ as a unicorn. In that period religion was the center of all life. I think that would have been blasphemy. This very fine style is to be found with Van Eyck and with Breughel see the tableau of the hunt. . The gestures are typical for the Middle Ages. Those trees don't stand in Brussels these are exotic trees. I need new rugs in y house....

[@Soviless99]

the unicorn symbolizes the trap of marriage at the end 😂

[@smarthistory-art-history]

ha! that's one interpretation!

[@Sasha0927]

I didn't care for the first unicorn I saw - but the purifying water tapestry is gorgeous. The amount of effort it probably took to create these is incredible. The unicorn looks so goofy in the panels with its tongue out. I shouldn't have laughed, it's a sad thing, but... 🙊

[@robotxul]

It's not A and E, it's A and D, and it stands for Albus Dumbledore, these hang on the walls of Hogwarts.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Ha!

[@elizabethhurtado2829]

❤

[@北千春エレン]

ユニコーンガンダム🦄

[@owlspiritreiki]

Why does it have to be tied to Christ?

[@theobserver9131]

Amazing craftsmanship, horrible motif.