ticketsMember | Make a donation

Altarpiece with Christ, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Margaret

1434
On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 20
At the center of this finely carved relief, heavenly angels with musical instruments surround the figure of Christ in Majesty. At the corners are symbols of the four Evangelists, authors of the Gospels. Saints John the Baptist and Margaret, associated with the commissioners of the altarpiece, appear at either side. Above them, in smaller scale, an earlier chapter in the Christian story is evoked by the scene of the angel Gabriel addressing the Virgin Mary with the news that she will be the mother of Jesus. At the time the Knights of Rhodes commissioned this altarpiece, they were notorious heavily armed sailors, pursuing Muslim merchant ships across the Mediterranean, often pillaging their cities and gaining great wealth in the process. The altarpiece is inscribed along the lower edge of the central panel: HOC OPUS FECIT MAGISTER AND[R]EAS DA GIONA MCCCCXXXIIII (This work was made by Master Andrea from Giona 1434).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Altarpiece with Christ, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Margaret
  • Artist: Andrea da Giona (Italian, active ca. 1434–46)
  • Date: 1434
  • Geography: Made in Savona, Liguria, Italy
  • Culture: Italian
  • Medium: Marble (Carrara marble)
  • Dimensions: Overall: 72 x 80 x 5 in., 1614lb. (182.9 x 203.2 x 12.7 cm, 732.1kg)
    a: central panel: 505lb. (229066.5g)
    b: Top center: 210lb. (95255.4g)
    c: Saint John (L): 329lb. (149233.4g)
    d: Saint Margaret (R): 194lb. (87997.8g)
    e: Kneeling Angel: 121lb. (54885.2g)
    f: Bottom Central Panel: 181lb. (82101.1g)
    g: Plinth (L): 28lb. (12700.7g)
    h: Modern Plinth (R): 28lb. (12700.7g)
    i: Angel Wing (Modern): 18lb. (8164.7g)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1962
  • Object Number: 62.128a-i

Audio

Cover Image for 76. Altarpiece with Christ, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Margaret

76. Altarpiece with Christ, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Margaret

0:00
0:00
We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. Please email info@metmuseum.org to request a transcript for this track.

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Altarpiece with the Lives of Jesus, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint John the Evangelist, Baldassare degli Embriachi Italian, Bone framed with intarsia and horn, traces of paint and gilding, North Italian
Altarpiece with the Lives of Jesus, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint John the Evangelist
Baldassare degli Embriachi
ca. 1390–1400
Altar Predella and Socle of Archbishop Don Dalmau de Mur y Cervelló, Francí Gomar Spanish, Alabaster with traces of paint and gilding, Spanish
Altar Predella and Socle of Archbishop Don Dalmau de Mur y Cervelló
Francí Gomar
ca. 1456–1458
Trie Cloister, Marble, French
Trie Cloister
French
late 15th century
The Death of the Virgin (The Dormition), Tilman Heysacker German, Oak, German
The Death of the Virgin (The Dormition)
Tilman Heysacker
late 15th century
Relief with Half Figure of an Angel, Marble (Lunense marble from Carrara), North Italian
Relief with Half Figure of an Angel
North Italian
ca. 1430–35

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Showing 4 of 5

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

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.