Altar Frontal

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The enthroned Virgin and Child are surrounded by eight apostles, six of whom are identified in the Latin inscription above: Simon, Jude, Matthew, John, Thomas, and, apparently, Barnabas. The border of animal medallions may derive from Islamic decorative sources. The technique of raised and painted gesso on wood, particularly favored in Catalan art at this time, imitates metalwork.

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