The corpus of literature on the Lady and The Unicorn tapestries has most often focussed on technical/stylistic aspects or attempted to explain the iconography of this work with little definitive consensus in either domain. An informative element in the history of this problematic work is the patron, who played a primordial role in the artistic process of the late Middle Ages. Although the patron of our subject has been identified as Jean LeViste and his personal and family history is relatively well-documented, few attempts have been made to place this work in the context of his reality. An investigation of the figure and his milieu will certainly benefit our understanding of the themes of heraldic display and courtly love that are most often proposed to interpret our work. The patron's situation will bring us to a new level of interpretation in this work---the glorification of women---which, like the other themes represented throughout this series, served the interests of the patron and reflected his reality.

No description available.