The Empress Kneels Before Saint Martin

The Empress Kneels Before Saint Martin

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This roundel originally formed part of an extensive series illustrating the life of St. Martin which decorated an altar frontal or a set of liturgical vestments. The silk and metallic threads produce a variety of textures and a sense of depth that animate the surface and the narrative. In the first scene St. Martin, on his way home to convert his parents, is assaulted by brigands-an encounter which resulted in the conversion of the attackers. In the other the wife of the emperor Maximian kneels before St. Martin. Please note that this textile object is exhibited on a rotating basis due to conservation requirements.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Empress Kneels Before Saint MartinThe Empress Kneels Before Saint MartinThe Empress Kneels Before Saint MartinThe Empress Kneels Before Saint MartinThe Empress Kneels Before Saint Martin

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.