The Unicorn Tapestries [antikvár]

Foreword One of the most popular attractions at The Cloisters, which houses part of the Metropolitan Museum's splendid collection of medieval European art, is a series of tapestries depicting the hunt of the fabled unicorn. Visitors from all over the world have traveled to The Cloisters, some of them specifically to view these magnificent works of art, which were made in one of the major tapestry-weaving centers in the southern Netherlands, such as Brussels, between the years 1495 and 1505. Most tapestries were woven in sets in order to tell a story, honor the individual or family who commissioned them, or celebrate an event—in some cases all three. While many tapestries that have survived from the late Middle Ages illustrate the high quality these works often exemplified, the unicorn tapestries that are the subject of this book are among the few that can be considered of the first rank. They are imaginatively conceived, beautifully designed, and exceptionally well made. Perhaps most important, however, is the fact that the images captured here in silk, wool, and metal yarns are superbly memorable. From the vulnerable unicorn to the hunters—each of them individually portrayed—to the naturalistically depicted flora and fauna of the landscape: all these are subjects that move us, that remain in our memory long after we have viewed them. One of the most intriguing aspects of these tapestries is the mystery that surrounds them. For whom were they made? What stories do they tell? Adolfo Cavallo, the author of this book and a distinguished scholar who has previously catalogued the Museum's collection of medieval tapestries, addresses these issues and others in the pages that follow. However, even he recognizes that some of the answers may never be known, so the mystery continues. To complement the author's discussion of the unicorn itself as a secular and Christian symbol, we have included two previously published essays on the flora and fauna for which the tapestries are also famous. We hope that this book, the first in twenty-two years to be devoted to the unicorn tapestries, will enhance the viewer's experience of these sublime works of art and provide those who have never had the opportunity to see them with a sense of their splendor and an insight into the reasons they are among the most beloved masterpieces in the Metropolitan Museum's collection. Philippe de Montebello Director, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Opposite: The Unicorn Is Found, detail of Figure 34