La Tenture de la Dame à la licorne : la figure féminine au service de l’image masculine

The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries are most often interpreted as an allegory of the physical senses, but their iconography is remarkable for its integration of armorial elements. Each composition is organized like a heraldic emblem, such that the main figures replace the coat-of-arms in its position and its function. Though this book is frequently identified as a monument to the patron's socio-professional success, no effort has been made to understand how the scenes contribute to his personal representation. The lack of interest for the decidedly female character of this iconographic programme is another weakness in previous studies of these tapestries. This doctoral dissertation proposes to examine the Lady and the Unicorn and its representative function by analysing the cultural, literary and iconographic traditions, as well as the socio-historic realities, that shape the image of social excellence the patron constructs in order to represent himself and his family.
KE