Holy Family

Niclaus Weckmann

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This engaging group of the Virgin and Child with Saint Joseph was once the centerpiece of a large altarpiece. The Virgin and Child face in the same direction as the Child raises his right hand in blessing. Their posture suggests they may have been part of Holy Kinship group with Saint Anne or of an Adoration of the Magi. The orb in his left hand symbolizes Christ’s role as spiritual ruler of the world.

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