The Tapestry Cycle The Lady with the Unicorn is one of the few surviving examples of medieval tapestries depicting a unicorn. This work of art is particularly interesting because of its rich symbolic significance. The iconographic interpretation of tapestries is complex, and in addition we must mention that there is more than one interpretation, as different interpretations, both secular and religious, have developed over time. Within the court culture, tapestries of The Lady with the unicorn, together with a related motif of The hunt of the unicorn, depict an allegory of love and medieval chivalrous courtship. As part of Christian iconography, the lady and the unicorn represent the Virgin Mary and Jesus in the scene of the Annunciation. In interpreting the tapestries, I opted for an interpretation in which the five tapestries each represent one of the senses given to man. The last, sixth tapestry, however, represents a conscious renunciation of the bodily pleasures brought by 3
the senses, and the consecration of soul and body to God, for the only true love is spiritual, and the only true beauty is the beauty of the soul. The main reason that the main theme of my final assignment for the Batchelor's degree is The Lady with the Unicorn tapestry cycle, is my love for mythological and imaginary creatures. The unicorn is certainly one of the beings that are closest to my heart, so I have devoted a considerable part of this assignment to its iconography and its role in medieval literature and fine arts.
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