David and Abigail

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The biblical figure of Abigail interceded in a conflict between her husband and King David, thus keeping the peace. Her story had particular resonance for the English during the Civil War period (1642–51) and her name became associated with diplomacy. The unfinished state of this panel reveals the skillful underdrawing of the design, and the silk thread colors are particularly well-preserved.

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The fifty thousand objects in the Museum's comprehensive and historically important collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The holdings include sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles. Ceramics made in Asia for export to European markets and sculpture and decorative arts produced in Latin America during this period are also included among these works.

Metropolitan Museum of Art