Program Description
Event Details
Behold the Unicorn: Tapestries and Bestiaries in Medieval Europe
In the later Middle Ages, beasts from griffins to unicorns were often quite literally woven into artwork. Tapestries served the dual purpose of insulating drafty medieval castles and advertising the wealth of their patron: requiring luxurious materials—often gold-wrapped silk threads—and demanding labor, they were prized above painting and sculpture. Bestiaries, meanwhile, are a type of illuminated manuscript containing allegorical stories of creatures both real and mythical. Using the unicorn as a springboard, we'll look closely at these two art forms to see how medieval art remains ever relevant—and entertaining.
About Weili Jin
Weili Jin has been passionate about the history of art ever since first seeing Botticelli in the second grade. Ten years later, he continues to specialize in the paintings of Renaissance Florence, particularly the patronage of the Medici. Most recently, he has worked to develop the YouTube channel “Narrative Art History,” a lecture series that contextualizes Renaissance art in a continuous, chronological narrative.
For more information about The Close Looking Project initiative, visit https://closelooking.org/.