Enchanting and magical, the unicorn is on display at the Cluny Museum

The fantastic animal par excellence, the unicorn, traverses the centuries and imaginations while never losing its magic. Sometimes a symbol of purity, sometimes a wild creature or a mystical figure, it has fascinated artists since antiquity and continues to inspire popular culture today. With Unicorns!, the Cluny Museum presents an exhibition that is as surprising as it is enchanting, exploring all facets of this legendary creature.

A Magical Dive into the History of the Unicorn

In the heart of the Latin Quarter, the Cluny Museum – the national museum of the Middle Ages – invites us to travel back in time with Unicorns!, an exhibition created in collaboration with the Barberini Museum in Potsdam and enriched by loans from international museum institutions.

In this unique heritage site, visitors embark on a journey to discover a fantastical creature that is everywhere in popular culture... but still shrouded in mysteries. Because while today we know that the unicorn belongs to the realm of legends, it was long considered very real. An unattainable, untameable, and extraordinary animal, it has fascinated artists and fueled the collective imagination for centuries. The museum is indeed the perfect setting to explore this mythical creature: it is here that the famous tapestries of The Lady and the Unicorn are preserved, true masterpieces of medieval art. <

A Creature with a Thousand Symbols

The exhibition unfolds in nine thematic sections and brings together nearly a hundred works that reveal the many facets of the unicorn throughout history. You'll find it on a seal engraved around 2000 BC, on a tin plate from the 17th century discovered in Turkey, and even as decoration on a mug dating back to 1656, preserved in a castle in Copenhagen. Through these fascinating objects, the unicorn appears alternately as a wild animal, a magical creature, or a legendary healer. According to medieval tales, its horn is said to have purifying properties capable of neutralizing poisons.

Unicorns (Legend – Calm Sea) Arthur B. Davies. Circa 1906. Oil on canvas. New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art. 31.67.12 © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / image of the MMA

But the unicorn is more than just a fantastic creature. In Christian iconography, it sometimes symbolizes Christ, while certain medieval scenes depict the famous unicorn hunt, where it represents the betrayed lover. And the story doesn’t stop there: the exhibition also explores contemporary reinterpretations of this mythical being. Today, the unicorn inspires many artists and activists. It can become a queer symbol, a banner for values of inclusion, or even a figure of resistance against discrimination. Modern works, like those by Niki de Saint Phalle or the tapestry La Noble Pastorale by Suzanne Husky, show how the unicorn continues to fuel imaginations and struggles.

In short, with a mix of art history, fascinating myths, and contemporary creations, Unicorns! promises a visit that’s as magical as it is educational. 

Unicorns!
Musée de Cluny - National Museum of the Middle Ages
28, rue du Sommerard – 5th
From March 10 to July 12, 2026
More info