Altarpiece

Baldassare degli Embriachi

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The altarpiece depicts episodes from the life of Christ (central section), of Saint John the Baptist (left), and of Saint John the Evangelist (right). The appearance of Franciscan friars in the Crucifixion scene suggests that the altarpiece was originally commissioned for a Franciscan community. The Embriachi family, which ran successful workshops in Venice and Florence, produced numerous carvings in bone, ivory, and other materials.

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