ticketsMember | Make a donation

Scenes from the Life of Saint Augustine of Hippo

ca. 1490
Not on view
This painting was the central panel of a triptych dedicated to Saint Augustine (354–430), a Christian theologian so celebrated that he is sometimes called a Doctor of the Church. The composition is divided into five scenes: in the center, Saint Augustine is consecrated bishop of Hippo Regius, a Roman city in present-day Algeria; in the upper left, Saint Augustine is ordained as a priest; in the lower left, Saint Augustine preaches while his mother, Monica, anachronistically says the rosary, a prayer regimen of the late Middle Ages. At the upper right, Saint Augustine converses with a boy who says that filling a hole in the sand with the sea is no more difficult than explaining the Trinity; and in the lower right, Saint Augustine preaches. In the windows behind the altar at the right are kneeling figures of a man and woman, along with coats of arms. Might these be clues to the original place for which the altarpiece was created, or are they pure inventions? Of particular interest in this panel are the detailed and richly depicted varieties of ecclesiastical vestments and altar implements.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Scenes from the Life of Saint Augustine of Hippo
  • Artist: Master of Saint Augustine (Netherlandish, ca. 1490)
  • Date: ca. 1490
  • Geography: Made in Bruges, Flanders, Southern Netherlands
  • Culture: Netherlandish
  • Medium: Oil, gold, and silver on wood
  • Dimensions: Framed: 59 7/8 × 64 1/2 × 2 3/4 in., 98 lb. (152.1 × 163.8 × 7 cm, 44.5 kg)
    54 1/4 × 59 in. (137.8 × 149.9 cm)
    Other (greatest thickness): 3/8 in. (1 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings-Panels
  • Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1961
  • Object Number: 61.199
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Book of Hours, Simon Bening Netherlandish, Tempera, gold, and ink on parchment; modern red leather binding, Netherlandish
Book of Hours
Simon Bening
ca. 1530–35
Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece), Robert Campin Netherlandish, Oil on oak, Netherlandish
Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece)
Robert Campin
ca. 1427–32
Roundel with Descent of the Damned, Dieric Bouts Netherlandish, Colorless glass, vitreous paint and silver stain, South Netherlandish
Roundel with Descent of the Damned
Dieric Bouts
ca. 1500–1510
Roundel with Susannah and The Elders, Pseudo-Ortkens South Netherlandish, Colorless glass, vitreous paint and silver stain, South Netherlandish
Roundel with Susannah and The Elders
Pseudo-Ortkens
ca. 1520
Roundel with Christ Carrying the Cross with Saint Veronica, Colorless glass, vitreous paint and silver stain, South Netherlandish
Roundel with Christ Carrying the Cross with Saint Veronica
South Netherlandish
ca. 1520

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

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.