The Met Cloisters closed for six months due to COVID-19, but reopened to the public on September 12, 2020. For those who can’t make it to New York, this short film provides an opportunity to take a closer look at the Museum’s seven beloved "Unicorn Tapestries." Produced for the 1974 exhibition “Masterpieces of Tapestry,” it recounts the tale depicted in the works and explains the symbolic meaning of these mythic creatures, including their purifying and restorative powers.
As part of The Met’s 150th anniversary in 2020, each month we will release three to four films from the Museum’s extensive moving-image archive, which comprises over 1,500 films, both made and collected by the Museum, from the 1920s onward. This includes rarely seen artist profiles and documentaries, as well as process films about art-making techniques and behind-the-scenes footage of the Museum.
Learn more about The Met Cloisters: https://www.metmuseum.org/visit/plan-your-visit/met-cloisters
Read about the "Unicorn Tapestries": https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/The_Unicorn_Tapestries_in_The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art
New films every week: https://www.metmuseum.org/150/from-the-vaults
Subscribe for new content from The Met: https://www.youtube.com/user/metmuseum?sub_confirmation=1
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The Hunt of the Unicorn, 1974
Produced for the 1974 exhibition Masterpieces of Tapestry, this short form recounts the tale depicted in “The Unicorn Tapestries” and explains the symbolic meaning of these mythic creatures, including their purifying and restorative powers.
14 min. watch
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Art Mentioned
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French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
1495–1505
French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
1495–1505
French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
1495–1505
French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
1495–1505
French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
1495–1505
French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
1495–1505
French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
1495–1505
South Netherlandish
1495–1505