When he came to power in the 12th century, the Scottish King William I placed a unicorn on his royal coat of arms. Three-hundred years later, King James III emblazoned gold coins with unicorns. When England and Scotland unified, in 1603, and James VI became James I of England, he replaced the two unicorns on his coat of arms with a unicorn and a lion, England’s national animal, to showcase his dedication to unity. In Scotland, the symbol of the unicorn dates back to Celtic mythology. The white creature, horselike but with the spiraling horn of a narwhal, was masculine and powerful yet also innocent and pure. Only a virgin maiden, or a king, could tame one of these magical beasts. In this display, historic and contemporary media come together to trace the long life of the mythical unicorn. —Elena Clavarino
The Arts Intel Report
Unicorn
Luca Longhi, The Lady and the Unicorn.
When
Mar 30 – Sept 22, 2024
Where
Etc
Photo: © Stanza di Paolo III, Castel Sant’Angelo, Rome
Nearby
1
Art
National Galleries of Scotland