Represented at the left is the prophet Isaiah (YSAIAS) holding a scroll inscribed: ECCE VIRGO—the first words of his prophecy, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son” (Isaiah 7:14). At the right is Saint Mary Magdalene holding her attribute, the alabaster jar containing the ointment with which she anointed the body of Jesus. The inscription reads: M[ARIA SOROR] MARTH[HA]E (Mary, sister of Martha). Grisaille windows with figural glass in the central zones, known as band windows, were common in French glazing programs of the fourteenth century. Here, the grisaille panels are unrelated to the figures, and whether they were ever in such a window is unknown.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
Open Access
As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.
API
Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
Artwork Details
Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item
Title:Saint Mary Magdalene
Date:ca. 1325
Geography:Made in Loire Valley, France
Culture:French
Medium:Pot-metal, colorless glass, and vitreous paint
Dimensions:Overall: 135 1/2 x 18 in. (344.2 x 45.7 cm)
Classification:Glass-Stained
Credit Line:The Cloisters Collection, 1928
Object Number:28.107.2
Probably from the abbey church of Notre-Dame-de-l’Épine at Évron; Michel Acézat Paris, 1878–1944, Paris (sold 1928)
Rorimer, James J. "Two Stained Glass Panels of the XIV Century." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, o.s., 28, no. 11 (November 1928). pp. 271–74.
Frankfurter, Alfred M. "The Opening of The Cloisters." Art News 36, no. 7 (May 1938). pp. 9–14, 21.
Rorimer, James J., and Margaret B. Freeman. The Cloisters: The Building and the Collection of Mediaeval Art, in Fort Tryon Park. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1938.
Rorimer, James J. The Cloisters: The Building and the Collection of Medieval Art in Fort Tryon Park. 3rd revised ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1963. pp. 94–95.
Hayward, Jane. "Stained-Glass Windows." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, n.s., 30, no. 3 (December 1971-January 1972). p. 119.
Calkins, Robert G. Monuments of Medieval Art. New York: Dutton Publishing, 1979. p. 173, fig. 146.
Young, Bonnie. A Walk Through The Cloisters. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1979.
Sturm, James L. Stained Glass from Medieval Times to the Present: Treasures to be Seen in New York, New York. New York: Dutton Publishing, 1982. pp. 4–7, fig. 3.
Caviness, Madeline H., ed. Stained Glass Before 1700 in American Collections: New England and New York (Corpus Vitrearum Checklist I). Studies in the History of Art, Vol. 15. Washington, D.C.: National Art Gallery, 1985. p. 108.
Young, Bonnie. A Walk Through The Cloisters. 5th ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1988. pp. 79–80.
Castelnuovo, Enrico. Vetrate Medievali: Officine, Tecniche, Maestri. Turin: G. Einaudi, 1994. pp. 152, 154, fig. 68.
Hayward, Jane. English and French Medieval Stained Glass in The Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Volume 2, edited by Mary B. Shepard, and Cynthia Clark. Corpus Vitrearum USA, Vol. 1. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2003. no. 75, pp. 34–38, 41–42, fig. 75, 75a, 75.1, 74–75.1-2.
The Met's Libraries and Research Centers provide unparalleled resources for research and welcome an international community of students and scholars.
The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can connect to the most up-to-date data and public domain images for The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.
The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.
