The hidden letters: Katherine of Aragon and the unicorn tapestries
The five celebrated tapestries traditionally referred to as <em>Dame à Licorne</em> (end of the 15th centurybeginning of the 16th century), housed in the Cluny Museum in Paris, present within their spectacular pattern a single piece of writing which explains their message and the fact th...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Catalan |
| Published: |
Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Art i Musica
2010-12-01
|
| Series: | Locvs Amoenvs |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://revistes.uab.cat/locus/article/view/200 |
| Summary: | The five celebrated tapestries traditionally referred to as <em>Dame à Licorne</em> (end of the 15th centurybeginning of the 16th century), housed in the Cluny Museum in Paris, present within their spectacular pattern a single piece of writing which explains their message and the fact that they were commissioned by nobles. An analysis of the writing, «<strong>A</strong> mon seul desir <strong>K</strong>» shows that it may hide an unpublished interpretation: namely the matrimonial alliance between <strong>A</strong>rthur Tudor and <strong>K</strong>atherine of Aragon, members of two royal families whose marriage was destined to unite the two European countries of England and Castile with their ancient but different traditions. The death of Arthur Tudor put an end to the proposed marriage and as a result the tapestries appeared on the market and were acquired by a French family, the Le Vistes, who were linked to them by an affinity with a heraldic symbol. This article analyses a hypothesis of the genesis and fortunes of a masterpiece that grew from the alphabetic blocks of a declaration of love that was clearly Mediterranean and that represented a bridge between two worlds that would otherwise not have communicated and it was later used as an image of a surprising popular theatre. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1135-9722 2014-8798 |