Mirror of the Medieval World

by William D. Wixom; Philippe de Montebello

• ISBN13: 9780810965140
• ISBN10: 0810965143
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-03-01
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams Inc

Summary

This book offers an exciting introduction to the richness and quality of the medieval treasures in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Twenty years ago, Philippe tic Montebello became the museum's new director and William D. Wixom the new chairman of the Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters. Since then, the museum's holdings of medieval art have grown considerably in scope and number, due in no small part to the efforts and connoisseurship of these two individuals. Highlighted in these pages -- and in the accompanying exhibition -- are more than 315 of the acquisitions made since 1978, many of them unpublished until now. An essay by Wixom provides fascinating insights into the collecting process. The catalogue entries, written by members of the curatorial staff, focus on about 200 of the most important secular and religious objects, many of them illustrated in color. These include stained glass, metalwork, sculpture, panel paintings, and illuminated manuscripts.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Philippe De Montebello
Preface	viii
Peter Barnet
List of Donors	x
Acknowledgments	xi
Contributors to the Catalogue	2	(1)
Twenty Years of Collecting Medieval Art	3	(9)
William D. Wixom
Early Europe: 7th century B.C.-4th century A.D.	12	(10)
Catalogue numbers 1-25
The First Christian Centuries: 4th-7th century	22	(18)
Catalogue numbers 26-47
Europe of the Invasions: 5-11th century	40	(12)
Catalogue numbers 48-66
Europe (Pre-Carolingian through Romanesque): About 800-1200	52	(30)
Catalogue numbers 67-94
Later Byzantium: 8th-14th century	82	(14)
Catalogue numbers 95-114
Europe in the 13th Century	96	(34)
Catalogue numbers 115-151
Europe in the 14th Century	130	(36)
Catalogue numbers 152-201
Europe in the 15th Century: The Early Decades	166	(16)
Catalogue numbers 202-222
Europe in the 15th Century: The Later Decades	182	(38)
Catalogue numbers 223-279
Europe in the 16th Century	220	(25)
Catalogue numbers 280-313
Selected Bibliography	245	(22)
Index	267	(13)
Photograph Credits	280