"Woman with Unicorn c. 1510

This small, anonymous panel painting presents a woman seated with a unicorn. The unicorn, a symbol of purity and grace, was often associated with the Virgin Mary in medieval and Renaissance art. Here, the woman’s gentle touch conveys an unusual and emotionally charged connection. We see the unicorn motif echoed in tapestries and heraldry across Europe, evolving from a symbol of Christ to one of courtly love and virtue. Consider the unicorn tapestries at the Musée de Cluny, where the beast is hunted but ultimately finds solace in captivity. This echoes the psychological tension in our panel; the woman appears both protector and possessor of the mythical creature. The longing gaze of the woman and the submissive pose of the unicorn stir in us a primal yearning for innocence. This image transcends time, tapping into our collective unconscious and reminding us of the enduring power of symbols to evoke emotion. The unicorn persists, recurring through time and culture, reinvented by each generation to reflect our deepest desires and fears.