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Altar Frontal

ca. 1225
On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 04
The enthroned Virgin and Child are surrounded by eight apostles, six of whom are identified in the Latin inscription above: Simon, Jude, Matthew, John, Thomas, and, apparently, Barnabas. The border of animal medallions may derive from Islamic decorative sources. The technique of raised and painted gesso on wood, particularly favored in Catalan art at this time, imitates metalwork.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Altar Frontal
  • Date: ca. 1225
  • Geography: Made in Lerida, Catalonia, Spain
  • Culture: Catalan
  • Medium: Wood with gesso, canvas, and paint
  • Dimensions: 37 3/4 x 58 x 2 3/4 in. (95.9 x 147.3 x 7 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Wood
  • Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1925
  • Object Number: 25.120.256
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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