Head of King David

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Because it was thought they represented the ancient rulers of France, all of the monumental kings decorating the portals of the famed Cathedral of Notre-Dame of Paris were decapitated and presumably destroyed during the French Revolution. Until recently, this head of King David was the only known surviving head from this rich decorative program. Carved of a fine-grained limestone from the Paris region, the highly expressive face was originally more emphatic, as the eyes were inlaid with lead. The head comes from the right-hand portal of the west façade dedicated to themes of the life of Saint Anne and to the genealogy and early life of Jesus. David was regarded as an ancestor of Jesus. Carved about the middle of the twelfth century, the portal was not installed until the early years of the thirteenth century.

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