Plaque with the Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This rare and highly important plaque epitomizes a key moment in the history of medieval art, when goldsmiths—who had traditionally used enamels only as a substitute for colored gems—realized the full potential of the technique as a narrative art form. The theatrical nature of the Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew comes to life through the use of rich color, sure engraving, dramatic gestures and intense gazes. The artist represents compelling details as Jesus, standing at the edge of the Sea of Galilee, calls the brothers to be “fishers of men”: Peter gathers up his robe to keep it dry as he steps from the boat, while Andrew pushes with an oar against the waves. The acquisition of this Romanesque enamel significantly enriches The Cloisters Treasury, adding a rare example, attributed to England, to the Limoges and Mosan masterpieces already in the collection. Part of a larger ensemble focused on the lives of Saints Peter and Paul, its original context and the circumstances that allowed it and seven other plaques to be preserved are unknown.

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