Saint Germain and a Donor

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wearing a miter on his head and holding a crozier in one hand, this commanding figure represents a bishop. He is identified in the inscription on the base as "Germain," either the bishop of Paris or, perhaps more likely, given the Burgundian style of the carving, of Auxerre. The tiny churchman kneeling at his feet is identified as "H. Cordier" in the inscription, but nothing is known of his life apart from the donation of this imposing sculpture.

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