Icon with Virgin and the Christ Child

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Enthroned images of the Virgin and the Christ Child appear in churches throughout the Byzantine era. Here the Child's future role is emphasized by the angels who hold the cross and the lance and sponge of his crucifixion.

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