“English Embroidery from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1580–1700: ’Twixt Art and Nature”

English Embroidery from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1580–1700: ’Twixt Art and Nature

Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Children who love spying the fauna in the Cloisters' Unicorn Tapestries will find a similar thrill at the Bard Graduate Center’s exhibition of spectacular small-scale works, stitched just a century or two later. The show in its entirety may be too rich a banquet for some youngsters, so steer them past the main floor’s royal wares and proceed directly to the second level. Here, a woman’s linen jacket is adorned with embroidered flowers and attendant critters, interspersed among a silver arabesque. Look closely for bees, dragonflies and many varieties of caterpillars. Then head upstairs to the section highlighting the natural world, a popular motif of the period. The panels depicting Paradise abound with blossoms, fruited trees and all sorts of wildlife. Apart from the intriguing imaginary unicorns and griffins, young ones will recognize squirrels, lions, fish, peacocks and more, all waiting to be spotted and identified. If your child can’t quite take in the fact that these menageries were rendered some 400 years ago in exquisite, painstaking needlework, never mind: A stop here is a fine way to gear up for spring’s bounty.

In connection with the show, the center will host “Lions, Leopards, Kings and Queens,” a community festival, on March 29, featuring an embroidery lesson, a weaving demo, Renaissance garb and live lute music; kids under age 15 get in for free.—Dorothy Irwin

“English Embroidery from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1580–1700: ’Twixt Art and Nature” is on view at the Bard Graduate Center through Apr 12. RSVP recommended (212-501-3011, programs@bgc.bard.edu).

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