Across three generations, men of the d’Aluye family of France embarked for the Holy Land, their mission to reclaim it for European Christians and redeem their own souls. The pride of this knight was such that he chose to be presented for eternity as a heavily armed—but prayerful—warrior. His sword does not match his armor; its form is typical of Chinese weaponry. Did he purchase it in a market of the Holy Land or forcibly wrest it from an adversary?
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Artwork Details
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Title:A Knight of the d'Aluye Family
Date:after 1248–by 1267
Geography:Made in Loire Valley, France
Culture:French
Medium:Limestone
Dimensions:13 × 33 1/2 × 83 1/2 in., 1197 lb. (33 × 85.1 × 212.1 cm, 543 kg)
Classification:Sculpture-Architectural
Credit Line:The Cloisters Collection, 1925
Object Number:25.120.201
From the Cistercian abbey of La Clarté-Dieu, north of Tours, France; [ Georges J. Demotte 1877–1923, Paris and New York (sold 1919)] ; George Grey Barnard American, New York (1910–until 1925)
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Jerusalem 1000–1400: Every People Under Heaven," September 26, 2016–January 8, 2017.
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d'Hozier, Louis Pierre, and Antoine-Marie d'Hozier de Sérigny. Armorial Général, ou Régistres de la Noblesse de France. Vol. 3, pt. 1. Paris: Firmin-Didot, 1752. p. 24.
La Chenaye-Aubert, François Alexandre de. Dictionnaire de la noblesse. 2nd ed. Paris: Veuve Duchesne, 1770. p. 162.
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Sourdeval, Charles de. "Une Statue Tombale du XIIIe Siècle, Jean d’Alluye." Mémoires de la Société Archéologique de Touraine 17 (1865). pp. 154–60.
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Boehm, Barbara Drake, and Melanie Holcomb. "Holy War and the Power of Art." In Jerusalem 1000–1400: Every People Under Heaven, edited by Barbara Drake Boehm, and Melanie Holcomb. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016. p. 199.
Bolton, Andrew, ed. Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination. Vol. 2. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018. pp. 266, 268.
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Former intern Angelica Modabber takes readers on a tour of some of the works from The Met collection featured in The Roof Garden Commission: Adrián Villar Rojas, The Theater of Disappearance.
Administrator Christina Alphonso discusses the history behind the knight of the d'Aluye family that has been on view at The Met Cloisters since 1938 and shares its temporary new location.
Philippe de Montebello, former Director of The Met, guides viewers through The Cloisters, pointing out Romanesque and Gothic architecture and artwork, beautiful tapestries, and the diverse species in the gardens. He outlines the history of the building and its many influences and highlights significant works of art in the collection.
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