Enthroned Virgin and Child

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This imposing sculpture, with much of its medieval surface decoration preserved, depicts the Virgin as the Throne of Wisdom. Originally, the group was part of a tabernacle with movable wings that could be opened or closed at will during different seasons of the church year.

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