-Lapin-

This is the ceiling of the private chapel of Jacques d'Amboise, who rebuilt the residence of the Abbots of Cluny around 1500.  It wasn't until the 1800s that Alexandre du Sommerard moved in with his collection of medieval art, which would become the basis of the Musée National du Moyen Âge (Middle Ages), the Cluny Museum's official title.  The museum is famous for housing the "Lady and the Unicorn" tapestries, but hopefully you can see that it is a beautiful building of its own merit.  Standing under the small yet beautiful ceiling, which I took this picture of, is a very different perspective from the grandeur of a cathedral ceiling like Notre Dame.  This one was close enough to appreciate each rib and design. 

My class went there specifically to see the famed tapestries, and I wasn't disappointed.  Each of the six tapestries took months of labor, and the detail was incredible.  If you aren't familiar with the story, these tapestries surfaced from storage after approximately 300 years, and little is known about them other than they date from around the 15th century.  The family crest featured in them gives a clue as to who commissioned the work, but why a French nobleman requested six tapestries containing various women and a unicorn remains a mystery. They are beautiful, but they're no way to impress the king with your battle conquests or hunting feats.

At any rate, 5 of the tapestries show different woman with the unicorn, but each symbolizing a different sense: Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, and Hearing.  The sixth features a woman either getting out or putting away her jewelry in a tent bearing the words "A mon seul désir" (to my only desire).  Hypnotizing in their mystery, and apparently one of the greatest pieces of art from the Middle Ages.

Personally, I was intrigued by the little rabbit (lapin) covering its face with a paw, which appears in all of the tapestries.  Of course, the women, the unicorn, and a lion are in each of them too, but the rabbit is a subtler touch.

Another interesting exhibit displayed stained-glass windows, which are something you don't usually see up close.  The thing which keeps shocking me about ancient art is the detail put into every step.  Yes, these windows let beautiful, coloured light into cathedrals, but no, you can't see what the pictures are once they're installed high in the cathedral wall.  Nonetheless, each is carefully designed to represent a religious story or theme.

And those thousands of artists who devoted their lives to weaving tapestries and making stories from glass never could have guessed that hundreds of years later, we would still be able to view their work, and possibly appreciate it more now.  I mean, let's face it - Home Depot just isn't going to devote months to designing your windows any more than Ikea will spend years weaving a tapestry for your dining room.  Makes me realize that times are changing...