Central Panel of a Triptych

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Diptychs and triptychs were private devotional objects that served as less elaborate substitutes for ivory tabernacles. This panel represents, in the upper register, the Crucifixion, with Longinus and Stephaton, flanked by the Virgin and St. John the Evangelist, executed in a larger scale. The Virgin and Child appear below, flanked by two angels. The architectural decoration allows the zones to be seen clearly while creating a rich decorative effect.

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