Triptych with the Way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, and the Disrobing of Jesus

Triptych with the Way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, and the Disrobing of Jesus

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Made as an object of private devotion for an affluent patron, this triptych is a virtuoso example of Parisian goldsmiths' art of the early fifteenth century. Christ, the group of mourners, and the soldiers on the central panel are reliefs of uncolored silver. By contrast, the two thieves in the gilded background, as well as the Carrying of the Cross and Christ Disrobed on the wings, are rendered in pointillé (stippling). In this technique, the goldsmith's hammer hits a very fine stamp repeatedly into the metal ground, leaving a multitude of indentations. Their varying thickness and concentration establish shadows, depth, and the overall legibility of the composition. The refinement and the difficulty involved (this method allows no correction) appealed greatly to members of the Valois court, who were the principal commissioners of such objects.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Triptych with the Way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, and the Disrobing of JesusTriptych with the Way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, and the Disrobing of JesusTriptych with the Way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, and the Disrobing of JesusTriptych with the Way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, and the Disrobing of JesusTriptych with the Way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, and the Disrobing of Jesus

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.