Virgin and Child in Majesty

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In medieval sculpture, individual body parts were often accentuated to convey meaning. Here, Mary’s oversized hands direct our attention to Jesus, enthroned upon his mother’s lap. This type of sculpture, much favored in the twelfth century, is known as a Throne of Wisdom (Sedes Sapientiae). Appearing like a miniature adult, Jesus, as the Son of God, is Wisdom incarnate. He would have grasped a Bible, a further reference to the concept of divine wisdom that he embodies. Mary is both sculpture and vessel—her body has a cavity behind her shoulder, which suggests the work was a container for holy relics. Such devotional statues may have been carried in church processions.

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