Angel of the Annunciation

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This image of archangel Gabriel was originally paired with a depiction of the Virgin Mary, whom he addresses. Though its subject is impending birth, it may once have decorated a tomb. In Venice and Verona, the area from which this sculpture comes, a number of intact tombs include an angel of the Annunciation and the Virgin at either side, emblematic of the Christian story of salvation through Jesus.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art