The Lady & the Unicorn

/ Garrulous Gwendoline

The Lady and The Unicorn 2018-03-27 002 (640x341)

After our visit to the Sydney Easter Show we stayed in Sydney overnight so that we could go to the NSW Art Gallery the next morning to view their latest special exhibition; The Lady and the Unicorn.

This collection of six large tapestries is on loan from the Musée de Cluny – Musée National due Moyen Âge in Paris. I cannot bring you any photographs from the actual exhibition, but I can show you that inside the gallery, they, and us, looked like this.

Apparently, this is only the third time the tapestries have left France in 500 years, so it is a great privilege for us to see them. I knew nothing of them before-hand, but thanks to the booklet I now realise that they were created around 1500 and “re-discovered” in the early 1800s. While they have had restoration, the work is not so obvious as to detract from the awe that these beautiful pieces have survived all those centuries.

They are amazingly detailed and the depictions and changing expressions of the unicorn and lion are delightful. The lady’s dress, different in each tapestry, is exquisite. The colours are still mostly vibrant, or you can see how rich they once were. The use of the colour red was unusual for the times, but it is the over-riding impression. Apparently the colours on the back are particularly vivid as they have not been exposed to light, while areas which were originally green – created by over-dying blue with yellow – now appear blue because of the fragility of yellow dye.

Our booklet also explained the symbolism of all the animals and plants which adorn the tapestries. You could spend hours decoding every motif in each tapestry. I was drawn to the naughty monkey, so it’s no surprise to learn he symbolises evil, transgression, vices, lust and ridicule.

The display also provided much insight into the belief and myth of unicorns, and there was a DVD playing in another room which gave more background into the middle ages in France, heraldry, and the status of the Le Viste family who commissioned the works. Their coat of arms is depicted in every tapestry.

The tapestries are generally said to represent the five senses: Smell, Touch, Taste, Hearing and Sight; and a sixth sense – the soul – drawn from the inscription on the relevant tapestry which translates as My Sole Desire. But really, even the experts aren’t sure that interpretation is correct . . . it could also represent a woman in six stages of life. She certainly “ages” over each one.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say. Tracy Chevalier has also written a fictional account in her book titled The Lady and the Unicorn. I’ve just added that to my TBR list. You can read more here.

*******

We walked from Pyrmont to the Domain (the site of the NSW Art Gallery). I’d like to say we sauntered, but it was more of a 35 minute dash to meet our ‘timed entrance’ ticket restriction.

As we rushed across the Pyrmont Bridge – “one of the world’s oldest surviving electrically operated swingspan bridges” – I paused to snap a shot of some of the bibs and bobs attached to our Maritime Museum, where fellow blogger Lord Beari of Bow used to volunteer. So here’s a pic taken ‘specially for him. I hope he appreciates that I had to persuade Bill to slow down for a moment. You could say I risked all for the shot 🙂The Lady and The Unicorn 2018-03-27 001 (640x353)

17 thoughts on “The Lady & the Unicorn”

  1. Thanks for the link. I never knew the tapestries had been loaned out to Australia. Next they are scheduled to be displayed in Toulouse, in southern France, before the Cluny Museum in Paris finally reopens in 2022.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  2. It’s great they have been allowed to travel. Now you have seen the quality in real life it is easy to appreciate that tapestry was THE ‘status art’ of the medieval period. Such a classic series of tapestries and the imagery has adorned so much in the recent modern past!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • One can only imagine the cost of these tapestries for the original family. Yet such a necessary furnishing to line the cold damp walls of your well-to-do medieval home; at the same time as “showing off” to the neighbours.

      Exactly how Australia became the beneficiary of the exhibition is unclear to me. Having worked for a freight forwarder who specialised in transporting art collections I know what is involved in the process, the trust and skill required, and the huge insurance premium which underpins it. We are very privileged to have seen the collection. BTW I didn’t mention in my post the detail and colour in the dresses and how strategic parts of the imagery have used silk thread to provide depth of field and sheen.

      Like

      Reply

      • Love all your detailed commentary. Those makers of the past were incredibly skilful and understood how to genuinely work their craft didn’t they.
        The true advantage of having swanky tapestries initially was that they were portable and rolled up easily each time the court moved on.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

        • Ah yes! I’d forgotten that critical element. It was mentioned in the information that came with the exhibition.
          The other thing that was “news” to me was that an heraldic shield that had two halves of different patterns represented the union of the man and woman’s heritage.

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply

  4. Loved your photo outside the Maritime Museum. In our days of being ‘yachties’ our boat was parked right on that jetty for several of the Wooden Boat Festivals that have been held there. Don’t know if that’s the same Naval ship but there was always something interesting – one year, a submarine. After looking over that I preferred our yacht!

    Like

    Reply

    • Hi JoJo, yes still the same vessels. The photo is cluttered, so hard to see the details.

      The destroyer HMAS Vampire, and then just behind that you can see the snub nose of the submarine HMAS Onslow. Oberon class, used for surveillance and intelligence gathering – not to be confused with a nuclear sub. Had a naval friend who served as submariner for a while. At 6’3” that’s quite an ask. I think he’d rather have been on a yacht also.

      Since my last visit the museum has built another structure beside the sub. I don’t know its purpose. Looks like a lot of aluminium in the photo. Might have a chance to visit again and found out.

      The Classic and Wooden Boat festival is coming up soon – 13-15 APRIL – maybe a chance to relive the old days?

      Like

      Reply

I love comments!