"Lady and Unicorn: Taste" Canvas

With this museum-grade stretched matte canvas, you can finally bring home one of the most iconic medieval artworks, fully restored and ready to hang! Part of The Lady and the Unicorn series, this artwork features jewel tones with rich reds and deep blues, thanks to the unique color restoration process. The 0.75" depth makes it perfect to place above a mantel, beside a reading chair, or even on a narrow hallway. It hangs steady thanks to soft rubber pads on the back, and the certified inks keep colors vivid while staying eco-conscious. 

The Lady and the Unicorn is a series of six tapestries woven in wool and silk, from designs drawn in Paris around 1500. They depict the five senses (taste, hearing, sight, smell, and touch), and although the full meaning is obscure, it has been interpreted as representing mutual love and understanding.

In the "Taste" artwork, the lady takes sweets from a dish held by a maidservant. Her eyes are on a parakeet on her upheld left hand. The lion and the unicorn are both standing on their hind legs, and hold pennants that frame the lady on either side. A cute puppy looks up to the lady, probably hoping to receive a couple treats. The monkey, on the contrary, is already eating and is teasing a dog that sits in front. Fantastical animals on the background play among the intricate flowers, in a forest without depth or perspective, creating the illusion of a dream.

The tapestries remained at risk until 1882, when the Musée de Cluny in Paris purchased them. Unfortunately, they were found in poor condition due to improper storage, suffering from dampness and mold, had lost some areas of weave and the colors faded. We have performed a meticulous digital restoration, with the reconstruction of missing patches, color correction of the many discolored areas, reharmonization of the subjects against the background, and overall recalibration of color vibrance. Both ladies' faces needed to be fully reconstructed, and we managed to maintain the most accurate resemblance to the originals. During the whole process, we chose a conservative restoration, which means we always preserved the texture and antique quality of the work. The result is an artwork that doesn't want to appear as new, and on the contrary wants to show the signs of time - but in a well preserved state. You can appreciate the full details of the restoration process in the oversized Tapestry version of the same artwork (check Related Products below).

Features:

• High-quality, Greenguard Gold-certified latex inks for vivid, non-toxic prints
• Durable cotton/polyester canvas (9.82 oz/yd²) with proprietary coating for long-lasting color
•  Stretched on responsibly sourced radiata pine frame from FSC-certified renewable forests
•  0.75" depth with soft rubber dots on the back to keep the canvas stable when hung
•  Slight size tolerance (+/- 1/8" / 3.2mm)
• Care instructions: If the canvas gathers any dust, you can easily wipe it off with a clean, damp cloth.

Production and Shipping:

- Prints In/Ships From: USA and Canada for North American customers; Spain and United Kingdom for European customers; Australia for orders from Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific islands.

- This product is made-to-order, consistently with our environmental pledge, meaning that it is produced as soon as you place the order. Estimated production time is 3 business days during regular season.

- Canvases are sealed in plastic wrap, then packaged in a hard cardboard box to prevent dents during transportation as well as humidity or water damage. Custom boxes are created with recycled materials designed to fit each product size and reduce waste.

European GPSR:

EU representative: Medieval Made LLC, info@medievalmade.com, 3838 Oak Lawn Ave, STE 1000, PMB 1108, Dallas, TX, 75219, US

Product information: Generic brand, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999/44/EC