Take a journey through art history with legend's most popular creature. The unicorn has stimulated the imagination like no other animal. It has been documented in many cultures for centuries. Fascination with it continues to this day. While it might have been appropriated as a cute toy or pop culture icon, the history of the unicorn as a symbol is profound and multi-layered- in Western and non-European art, in religion and mythology, in literature, natural science, and medicine. Contributions by Adrien Bossard, Be´atrice de Chancel-Bardelot, Barbara Drake Boehm, Se´verine Lepape, Michael Philipp, Annabelle Te´ne`ze and Stefan Trinks trace the unicorn back to the ancient world, to medieval manuscripts, altarpieces, sculptures, cabinets of curiosities, and tapestries. Since the nineteenth century, artists such as Arnold Bo¨cklin, Rene´ Magritte, and Rebecca Horn have rediscovered the mythical creature for themselves. For the first time, this publication presents a comprehensive summary of the unicorn's artistic journey from the second millennium BCE to the present day, situating it in the context of art and cultural history. AUTHORS: Béatrice de Chancel-Bardelot is Chief Curator of the Musée de Cluny in Paris, France. Séverine Lepape is Director of the Musée de Cluny in Paris, France. Michael Philipp is Chief Curator of the Museum Barberini in Potsdam, Germany. Nerina Santorius is Curator and Head of Impressionism at the Museum Barberini in Potsdam. Ortrud Westheider is Director of the Museum Barberini in Potsdam. SELLING POINTS: . PERFECT FOR: Fans of mythology and art who want to delve more into the history behind one of the most famous mythical creatures, the unicorn. . TOPIC: Studying the iconography of the unicorn invites reflection on fantasy, world knowledge, ambivalences, projections, and the contemporary culture. . WRITING: Texts by the relevant experts on the subject and internationally renowned art and cultural historians. Well-founded and captivating. . AUTHOR: INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED AUTHORS, known for the Barberini catalogs. . PACKAGE: The stunning Barberini editions have a dust jacket, a hardcover, are generously designed and feature outstanding reproductions. 270 colour illustrations
