Virgin and Child

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The affection displayed by Mother and Child became increasingly popular in northern Europe in the thirteenth century. In a variation of an iconic Byzantine image known as the Virgin Eleousa, the Virgin is portrayed receiving a tender touch on the chin. This statuette was originally set into a protective tabernacle.

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