Vision of Saint Germain of Paris

Vision of Saint Germain of Paris

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This panel is one of two scenes from the Legend of Saint Germain of Paris. Here Germain appears posthumously in a dream to a monk from Saint-Germain-des-Prés, exhorting the brother to maintain his faith. The figures dominate the compositions, fully commanding the dark blue ground against which they are placed. Details of the setting are minimal, lending a sense of the otherworldly to the vision, and forms are suggested by color masses, contrast of tone, and painted line. A series of concave curves and an ashen face turned away from the specter of the saint bring drama to the monk's pose.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Vision of Saint Germain of ParisVision of Saint Germain of ParisVision of Saint Germain of ParisVision of Saint Germain of ParisVision of Saint Germain of Paris

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.