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Unicorn in Art 🦄
The unicorn has fascinated people for a long time! Did you know that writers were already talking about this mysterious creature in Antiquity? Described as a hybrid animal, it has survived the centuries to become an emblematic figure in our collective imagination. The unicorn is so present in medieval art that we almost forget that it is a legendary creature. A symbol of purity but also the embodiment of desire, its horn is said to have medicinal and even aphrodisiac properties. Even today, the unicorn continues to fuel our imaginations: it's everywhere in pop culture, from toys to TV series to social networks. Follow in the footsteps of this fabulous creature with our playlist!

The Louvre has its Mona Lisa, and the Cluny Museum, its Lady and the Unicorn. Yet with no known signature or place of fabrication, these six impressive tapestries remain mysterious and visitors all ask themselves the same question: why are the lower parts lighter than the rest of the weaving? To find out more about past restorations, researchers at the Archaeosciences laboratory in Bordeaux (southwestern France) use hyperspectral cameras as well as infrared and X-ray techniques. Their goal is to characterise each colour and, with the help of a dye maker, try to recreate recipes for dyes in the laboratory.

Content produced by: Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)

On the agenda
video - 7:31
The true colours of the Lady and the Unicorn
By: Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)
video - 9:20
The Unicorn Tapestries
By: SmartHistory
video - 6:57
How to catch a unicorn
By: British Museum
video - 5:53
The Unicorn in Captivity
By: SmartHistory
video - 1:53
Art History Minute: Unicorn in Captivity Tapestry
By: Accessible art history