The Cloisters, founded in 1938, recently celebrated its 75th anniversary. For those lacking the fine art knowledge that a rare few possess, The Cloisters is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum specializes in showcasing the art and architecture of Medieval Europe. To be frank, I had absolutely no interest in the (what I thought snooty) on-goings of a fine art museum, but this article from The Economist immediately caught my eye. Rather than feature the works of a well-known Renaissance or Baroque artist, The Cloisters has chosen to put its focus on displaying a series of tapestries known as the "Search for the Unicorn".
As comical and ridiculous as you may find this (or perhaps it's just me), this is not in fact the first time the esteemed museum has presented these works. The majestic Unicorn Tapestries are in fact some of The Cloisters' most famous works. Given to the museum in 1938 by John D. Rockefeller Jr., the history and meaning behind the famous works still remain a mystery. The exhibition is actually a vast display of everything possibly unicorn. There are manuscripts, unicorn horns (narwhal horns actually), and detailed paintings. The lengthy tapestry shows the unicorn "[...] trapped, [escaping], pursued by noblemen and, finally, is speared and returned to the castle." Source: NY Times
At this point I'd like to apologize for the lengthy summary and the equally long analysis that will soon follow. But I can't help but wonder why the idea of the Unicorn has managed to intrigue and fascinate children and adults alike throughout the centuries. Something about the paintings' ability to tell a story and stir up childhood imaginations and fantasies have made the Unicorn Tapestries immensely popular among an audience of all ages. It's the elusive qualities of the unicorn that have made it such a popular myth for so long. Historians, researchers, and even ordinary citizens have been unable to either confirm nor deny the existence of the mythological creatures. While many may scoff at and ridicule the seemingly childish exhibit, I believe the unicorn serves as a reminder of childhood innocence and faith. Ultimately anything extant in the magical world of Harry Potter is unlikely to be real. But like the possibility that they might all become wizards, children all cling on to the belief in the mythological and surreal, because it intrigues and excites them, and fills them with a sense of awe and mystery. In the end, The Cloister's decision is more than a simple choice to display unicorn tapestries. Their choice to exhibit the unicorn, a symbol of innocence and hope, is a chance for them to awaken and arouse the dormant feelings of hope and wonder that lay submerged in the adult mind.
I like how your article is based on unicorns and what they symbolized in each different time period. In the second paragraph when you wrote about how there were unicorn horns in the exhibit, are they legit narwhals’? And your opinion on the significance of unicorns is plausible. It could explain why some children’s cartoons include mythical creatures. Embedding your summarization and some analysis together kind of help me understand the article better.
ReplyDeleteI like your structure of an introduction that serves the purpose of introducing the topic of unicorns. Although at the beginning of your commentary, I did not know what direction you were going to take because the idea of just unicorns in this museum was very vague. I did not understand the message you were trying to convey until after your summary, in the third paragraph. I do not think your summary was lengthy because each detail was necessary and nothing was superfluous. Overall this was well written, but you could have done better introducing the topic in your first paragraph so you have some sense of direction.
ReplyDeleteHey Bryan!
ReplyDeleteI want to start off by saying that your article is one of the most interesting articles to me!
I agree that your summary is lengthy, and it is also unnecessary since you only need commentary on the article you read. I can see that you have an understanding about the article that you read. I too believe that mythological creatures like the unicorn play a role (or remembrance of childhood innocence and faith like you said in your analysis) of in the imagination of children and even adults.
Overall, you had a good and entertaining analysis/commentary on the article you read on this subject.