The Cloisters from a Distance, Sept. 2007

The Cloisters

Folder: Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Cloisters—described by Germain Bazin, former director of the Musée du Louvre in Paris, as "the crowning achievement of American museology"—is the branch of the Metropolitan Museum devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. Located on four acres overlooking the Hudson River in northern Manhattan's Fort Tryon Park, the building incorporates elements from five medieval French cloiste…  (read more)
Garden in the Cloisters, April 2007

Garden in the Cloisters, April 2007

01 Apr 2007 318
Window in the Cloisters, October 2010

Window in the Cloisters, October 2010

03 Oct 2010 340
Tree and Tower in the Herb Garden in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

Tree and Tower in the Herb Garden in the Cloisters…

01 Sep 2007 340
Standing Virgin and Child in the Cloisters, October 2009

Standing Virgin and Child in the Cloisters, Octobe…

01 Oct 2009 395
Standing Virgin and Child Attributed to Niclaus Gerhaert von Leiden, active 1460-74 Probably Vienna, about 1470 Boxwood Accession # 1996.14 Niclaus Gerhaert, a seminal artist of the generation preceding Albrecht Durer's, presumably was born in Leiden and was active in Strasbourg and Vienna, as well as several cities in between. Only three signed works are known and a mere four others, including this sculpture, have been seriously thought to be by Gerhaert's hand. Text from the Cloisters label.
Prodigal Son Stained Glass Roundel in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

Prodigal Son Stained Glass Roundel in the Cloister…

01 Sep 2007 468
Scenes from a Series of the Parable of the Prodigal Son Glass with silver stain and vitreous paint Germany The Prodigal Son Bids Farewell Cologne (?), ca. 1530-1535 Accession # 32.24.55 Text from the Cloisters label.
Statue of the Virgin and Child in the Cloisters, October 2009

Statue of the Virgin and Child in the Cloisters, O…

01 Oct 2009 389
Virgin and Child Lindenwood with paint and gilding Austria, Salzburg, about 1420 Accession Number: 65.215.2 The ample robes and golden crown of the Virgin Mary give her a regal appearance; her full, round face and neck show her as the healthy young mother of a robust baby boy. This type of sculpture, known as a Beautiful Madonna (Schone Madonna), was very popular in central Europe around 1400. Created in stone, wood, or sometimes precious metal, images of the Beautiful Madonna range from over life-size to tiny statuettes. Examples can still be found in churches from Poland to North Italy, and as far west as the Rhineland. Text from the Cloisters label.
St. Peter(?) in the Cloisters, October 2009

St. Peter(?) in the Cloisters, October 2009

01 Oct 2009 332
St. Peter (?) Lindenwood and Polychromy Austria, Salzburg, ca. 1440 Accession # 64.312 Although this sculpture does not hold the keys to Heaven commonly associated with the apostle Peter, the saint typically was depicted in the Middle Ages as having a balding head with white curly hair and a beard similar to the characterization of this figure. It may have been one of a series of the twelve apostles included in an altarpiece, perhaps the lower, predella section. Text from the Cloisters label.
Detail of St. Peter(?) in the Cloisters, October 2009

Detail of St. Peter(?) in the Cloisters, October 2…

01 Oct 2009 356
St. Peter (?) Lindenwood and Polychromy Austria, Salzburg, ca. 1440 Accession # 64.312 Although this sculpture does not hold the keys to Heaven commonly associated with the apostle Peter, the saint typically was depicted in the Middle Ages as having a balding head with white curly hair and a beard similar to the characterization of this figure. It may have been one of a series of the twelve apostles included in an altarpiece, perhaps the lower, predella section. Text from the Cloisters label.
Marble Virgin and Child in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

Marble Virgin and Child in the Cloisters, Sept. 20…

01 Sep 2007 482
Virgin and Child Marble with gilding France, Champagne, about 1350 From the parish church of Cernay-les-Reims Accession # 28.76 The crown identifies the Virgin as the Queen of Heaven. Her scepter, depicted as a rose branch, may allude to the homily of the Virgin as the rose without thorns (or without sin). The dove held by the Christ Child is a reference to his Passion. This work, with its elegant proportions and horizontal, looping drapery folds, is related to a silver Virgin and Child (Musee du Louvre, Paris), given to the abbey of Saint-Denis in 1339 by Jeanne d'Evreux, the widowed queen of Charles IV. Jeanne's tiny book of hours is one of the masterpieces of The Cloisters Collection. Text from the Cloisters label.
Terracotta Enthroned Virgin in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

Terracotta Enthroned Virgin in the Cloisters, Sept…

01 Sep 2007 491
Enthroned Virgin Italy, Tuscany, second third of the 14th century Terracotta Accession # 1998.214 The sketchiness of the modeling in several passages, such as the Virgin's right hand, the omission of the Christ Child, and the disruption of some of the surfaces suggest that this figure was not conceived as a finished work of art but may have served as a workshop model, perhaps for a goldsmith. At once voluminous and delicate, the sculpture is related to works by the Sienese Goro di Gregorio and the Pisan Andrea Pisano. Text from the Cloisters label.
Saint Barbara in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

Saint Barbara in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

01 Sep 2007 381
Saint Barbara Limestone with traces of polychromy France, Burgundy, mid-15th century Accession # 50.159 This sculpture was probably meant to be seen against a pier or in a niche behind an altar in a French parish church. The massiveness of the figure and the heavy, deep folds of drapery derive from the stylistic innovations of two earlier sculptors working in Burgundy: Claus Sluter (ca. 1345-1405/6) and Claux de Werve (1380-1439). Text from the Cloisters label.
St. Margaret in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

St. Margaret in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

01 Sep 2007 374
Saint Margaret Pine with metal appliques and traces of gesso and polychromy Workshop of Michael Pacher Austria, South Tirol, Bruneck, now Italy (Trentino-Alto Adige), ca. 1470-1480 From the parish church of Saint Margaret im Dorf, Neustift, near Brixen Accession # 63.13.2 According to her legend, Saint Margaret was imprisoned for refusing to marry the governor of Antioch. Satan appeared to her in the form of a dragon, swallowing her as she clutched a cross in prayer; she then ripped open his belly with the cross and emerged unscathed. A cross may have been held in one of her now-missing hands; the vanquished dragon lays at her feet. This massive figure probably came from the central shrine of a large polychromed altarpiece. Text from the Cloisters label.
Mary Magdalene in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

Mary Magdalene in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

01 Sep 2007 447
Mary Magdalene Lindenwood South Germany, probably Swabia, late 15th century Accession # 63.13.1 The calm, remote face and the broad sweep of drapery produce a serene nobility characteristic of sculpture made in the Swabian city of Ulm toward the end of the 15th century. The figure probably came from a large carved and painted altarpiece. Text from the Cloisters label.
Seated Virgin and Child in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

Seated Virgin and Child in the Cloisters, Sept. 20…

01 Sep 2007 413
Seated Virgin and Child Date: ca. 1300–1350 Geography: Made in Ile-de-France, France Culture: French Medium: Walnut, paint, gilt Dimensions: Overall: 48 in. (121.9 cm) Classification: Sculpture-Wood Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1925 Accession Number: 25.120.290 Description: The elegant drapery folds, pitched knees, and engaging expression of this Virgin are characteristic of the Gothic Style of fourteenth-century France. The Virgin is represented as an idealized court lady, with a high waist, a high forehead, and delicate features; the Christ Child is depicted as a chubby-cheeked, playful infant. This sculpture is said, without confirmation, to come from the Royal Abbey of Saint-Denis, north of Paris. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/472342
St. Christopher in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

St. Christopher in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

01 Sep 2007 403
St. Christopher Lindenwood, polychromy, and gilding Germany, Bavaria, Valley of the Danube, 1510-1520 Accession # 1973.135 According to legend, St. Christopher devoted his life to carrying the weak and poor across a river. One night, when he was taking a child across, he felt his burden grow heavier with each step. When questioned, the child declared that he was Christ and that Christopher was bearing the weight of the world. The sculpture is executed in a highly expressive and animated style. The saint looks intensely at his youthful burden, his hand resting on his hip for support. The drapery sweeps around the figure, mirroring the water swirling around his feet suggest the integral relationship between man and nature that was a fundamental principal of the Danube school. In the intimate gaze between the Christ Child and Christopher, the however, the mannerist spirit of the Late Gothic prevails. Text from the Cloisters label.
Detail of St. Christopher in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

Detail of St. Christopher in the Cloisters, Sept.…

01 Sep 2007 346
St. Christopher Lindenwood, polychromy, and gilding Germany, Bavaria, Valley of the Danube, 1510-1520 Accession # 1973.135 According to legend, St. Christopher devoted his life to carrying the weak and poor across a river. One night, when he was taking a child across, he felt his burden grow heavier with each step. When questioned, the child declared that he was Christ and that Christopher was bearing the weight of the world. The sculpture is executed in a highly expressive and animated style. The saint looks intensely at his youthful burden, his hand resting on his hip for support. The drapery sweeps around the figure, mirroring the water swirling around his feet suggest the integral relationship between man and nature that was a fundamental principal of the Danube school. In the intimate gaze between the Christ Child and Christopher, the however, the mannerist spirit of the Late Gothic prevails. Text from the Cloisters label.
Enthroned Virgin and Child in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

Enthroned Virgin and Child in the Cloisters, Sept.…

01 Sep 2007 443
Enthroned Virgin and Child Maple with paint and gilding Spain, Navarra, about 1280-1300 Accession # 53.67 This imposing sculpture, with much of its medieval surface decoration preserved, depicts the Virgin as the Throne of Holy Wisdom. The group was originally part of a tabernacle with movable wings that could be opened or closed according to the liturgical calendar. The painted panels displayed at the left once belonged to such an ensemble. Text from the Cloisters label.
Standing Bishop in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

Standing Bishop in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

01 Sep 2007 408
Standing Bishop Lindenwood and polychromy Workshop of Tilman Riemenschneider (1460-1531) Germany, Lower Franconia Wurzburg, ca. 1505 Accession # 1975.25 Although this bishop has no attributes, the gesture of the right hand suggests that he might be Saint Valentine, who is usually shown pointing to an epileptic child whom, according to legend, he cured. The treatment of the facial features and the drapery folds is dependent on the work of Tilman Riemenschneider but lacks that master's exhuberant line and overall coherency. Text from the Cloisters label.
596 items in total