Sculpture of an Enthroned King

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Portraying a historical king, such as Solomon, or an allegorical image of the monarch as “the living law” (lex animata), this imposing sculpture must have originated from an important northern Italian civic monument. It is a rare surviving example of the image of a ruler from a civic setting, such as a court of justice or a city gate, and is stylistically related to the work of the influential northern Italian sculptor Benedetto Antelami (act. ca. 1175–1215). It also shows an understanding of French models, especially with respect to the facial features and the thin drapery folds of the mantle.

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