The Musée de Cluny in Paris is hosting a new exhibition titled "Licornes !" from March 10 to July 12, 2026, eight years after its previous show "Magiques licornes." The exhibition centers on the famous "Dame à la licorne" tapestry series (circa 1500), tracing its creation and rediscovery around 1840 before its acquisition by the museum in 1882. It expands the scope to cover representations of unicorns from antiquity to the present day, including non-European civilizations—such as an Indus Valley ceramic seal from circa 2000 BCE—and a contemporary section upstairs. The show was originally conceived by the Museum Barberini in Potsdam, which hosted the first iteration from October to February, preceded by an international symposium in June 2024.
This exhibition matters because it offers a rare, comprehensive look at the unicorn motif across cultures and millennia, anchored by one of the most iconic works of medieval art. The collaboration between the Musée de Cluny and the Museum Barberini highlights the growing trend of international museum partnerships, while the rich catalog contrasts with the more constrained display in Cluny's frigidarium, raising questions about how historic spaces shape exhibition design. For art historians and the public alike, it deepens understanding of how a mythical creature has been reinterpreted through art history, from ancient seals to modern works.