THE LADY & THE UNICORN

Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney. Until 24 June 2018.

The six spectacular tapestries that make up The Lady and the Unicorn series have been hailed as the ‘Mona Lisa of the Middle Ages’, intriguing and aesthetically splendid by turns. Since its creation circa 1500, it has only left France three times: to New York in the 1970s, Japan in 2013, and now Sydney in 2018. On loan from the Musée du Cluny – Musée National du Moyen Âge in Paris, its arrival in Australia is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Woven in wool and silk against a millefleur (thousand flowers) background, the tapestries depict the five senses, with a sixth representing heart, or understanding. To bring this 16thcentury masterpiece into the modern age, the Art Gallery of NSW will present the tapestries in a program of hands-on textile workshops and digital experiences.