Paris Muse :: The Lady and the Unicorn

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The Lady and the Unicorn

"Do you see Madame? When the Lady holds her jewels as she does, we don't know if she is putting them on or taking them off. It can be either. That is the secret I've made for you in the tapestries."

—Nicolas des Innocents, in The Lady and the Unicorn

Tracy Chevalier’s best-selling novel The Lady and the Unicorn was inspired by one of the Musée de Cluny's most mysterious of masterpieces. Explore these sumptuous 15th-century tapestries with us in our latest tour: "The Lady, The Unicorn and Other Treasures of the Cluny."

The new tour is an opportunity for fans of Ms. Chevalier's book to get to know the real tapestries. Find out if Nicolas' exquisite designs are as exceptional as he says they are. If the woman in the tapestry representing Sight really seems blind—like Aliénor the weaver’s daughter. If the beautiful brocade of Claude’s dress in Taste is just as you thought it would be…

The new tour is an opportunity for fans of Ms. Chevalier's book to get to know the real tapestries.

The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries have fascinated generations of novelists, beginning with George Sand, who wrote about them in Jeanne (1844) soon after their "discovery" in Boussac. 50 years later, people were lining up around the block to get a glimpse of them in Paris. They were thought of as the city's 'other' Mona Lisa.

Their mysteries have infatuated art historians as well. You'll also learn about their competing interpretations. Some say the series is about renouncing physical pleasures for spiritual ones. Others, that is about seduction—an appropriate theme, perhaps, if the tapestries were indeed made as a lavish wedding gift.

The Lady and the Unicorn is just one of the many beautiful discoveries in the Cluny's outstanding collection. By studying other medieval tapestries here, you will understand what makes the Unicorn series unique. And through other related works of art, like stained glass, sculpture, and architecture, and personal items like shoes, jewelry, and combs, the late medieval Paris of Chevalier's book will vividly come to life.

Practical Information:
Available after March 8, 2004. This Cluny tour is 90-minutes. Your private guide is a medieval historian. The price of the tour is €70 for individuals, or €60 per person for parties of two or more, up to 4 maximum. Includes price of admission to the Cluny. Tickets are purchased in advance for you.