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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 Unicorn in Captivity (one of seven woven hangings popularly known as the Unicorn Tapestries or the Hunt of the Unicorn), 1495-1505, South Netherlandish, wool, silk, silver, and gilt (The Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art).

Content produced by: Smarthistory

On the agenda
video - 5:53
The Unicorn in Captivity
By: SmartHistory
video - 1:53
Art History Minute: Unicorn in Captivity Tapestry
By: Accessible art history
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