According to tradition, the monastery of Moutiers-Saint-Jean was founded by the first Christian kings of France, Clovis and his son Clothar. They are almost certainly the donors standing at either side, presenting their charters. The small seated figures on either side represent ancestors of the Virgin and Christ, including Moses. The tympanum above shows the Coronation of the Virgin in heaven, one of the most popular subjects in thirteenth-century French art. Despite damage sustained during tumultuous times, the naturalistic rendering of the anatomy, the plant motifs, and the delicate details throughout make this doorway an exemplary testament of the Gothic style.
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acc. nos. 32.147; 40.51.1; 40.51.2
Clovis
Clothar
Clovis
Artwork Details
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Title:Doorway from Moutiers-Saint-Jean
Date:ca. 1250
Geography:Made in Burgundy, France
Culture:French
Medium:White oolitic limestone with traces of paint
Dimensions:15 ft. 5 in. × 12 ft. 7 in. × 55 in. (469.9 × 383.5 × 139.7 cm) Opening: 110 x 66 in. (379.4 x 167.6 cm)
Classification:Sculpture-Architectural-Stone
Credit Line:The Cloisters Collection, 1932
Object Number:32.147
From the abbey of Moutiers-Saint-Jean, near Dijon, France; Mlle. Cambillarc, Moutiers-St.-Jean, France ; [ Jean Peslier, Vézelay, France] ; [ Brummer Gallery, Paris and New York (sold 1932)]
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Chabeuf, Henri. "Porte de l'église abbatiale de Moutier-Saint-Jean (Côte d'Or)." Revue de l'Art Chrétien, 5th ser., 42, no. 10 (1899). pp. 6–10.
"Compte rendu des travaux de la Commission Départementale des Antiquités de la Côte d'Or du 15 novembre 1900 au 15 juillet 1901." Mémoires de la Commission des Antiquités de la Côte d'Or 14 (1901). p. xxiv.
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Breck, Joseph. "Reports of the Departments." Annual Report of the Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art 63 (1932). p. 25.
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Nancy Wu and Carol Symes discuss their preparations for a new production of The Play of Adam—the oldest medieval drama written in any language—at The Met Cloisters on December 17 and 18.
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