Virgin and Child

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Elevated high in his mother’s arms, the Christ Child holds the end of her belt, a gesture that may indicate the mystical marriage of Christ and his mother, a theme frequently mentioned in popular hymns and sermons. This detail is characteristic of similar sculptures from Normandy. Stylistic elements including the Virgin’s pose and the rendering of drapery folds buttress the attribution to Normandy.

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