Cameo with Hercules and the Nemean Lion within a Garland

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The court of Frederick II actively promoted the collecting and creation of cameos based upon antique subjects, styles and techniques. Here the classical theme of Hercules and the Nemean lion is adapted from imagery on ancient Greek coins.

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