Klajdi Selimaj
HUN192
Oct. 23rd, 2009
Essay: Cloisters Museum
The Cloisters
The Cloisters is a part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This part of the MET is influenced
by the Middle Age period in Europe. Inside the Cloisters, one may have the feeling of being inside an
old Catholic church, since the Catholic Church was a major influence of the Middle Age period in
Europe. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “Middle Age is the period in European History from
the collapse of the Roman civilization in the 5th century AD to the period of the Renaissance”.1
In further detail from Britannica , this period of time begun by Italian humanists who were
intellectuals with the intention of separating themselves from the limited ideologies of the ancient
Greek and Roman world. The first part of the Middle Ages was the so called Dark Ages, from the end
of the Roman Empire until about the first millennium AD. According to Edmund B. Feldman, “[Middle
Age artists] were still regarded as skill workers … they were as weavers, furriers, carpenters, masons,
and sculptors. These craftsmen affected medival life mainly in their collective capacity, through their
ability to control the manufacture and distribution of essential goods” (Feldman 60)2 During this period
of time the Roman Catholic Church was the essence of politics. Influenced by the church, Europe at
that time was one large church-state government. After the end of the 11th century B.C. the beginning
of the Renaissance period begun; between the 12th and 13th centuries, the Gothic style first appeared in
art and architecture. Nevertheless beyond the Middle Age influence, Cloisters also includes some
Gothic style art and architecture.
The following object is a panting called “Retable with Scenes from the Life of Saint Andrew”,
made in Catalunya, Spain around the 1420s or 1430s. In this particular work the time and place in
1 "Middle Ages." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 04 Nov. 2009
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/380873/Middle-Ages>.
2 Feldman, Edmund Burke. Artist a social history. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice Hall, 1995. Print.
which the art was created are major influences as the painting represents Biblical characters and
symbols. Some things that stand out from the painting itself are the characters which are represented,
and the structure of the painting. Its structure is separated in three columns where both left and right
have equal height, while the middle column is higher than the other two. This perhaps may symbolize
the Holy Trinity; God being in the middle with Christ and the Holy Spirit on each side. Most of the
painting is made of wood, however the frame surrounding each figure seems to be made of gold. The
frame in whole seem to be about a meter or so in height, and two meters wide.
As one may notice from the name of the painting, this artwork is representing the life of one of
the twelve apostles, Saint Andrew. The painting itself is subdivided in smaller figures. The biggest
figure in
the center is
Saint
Andrew seated,
holding a
book (perhaps
the Holy
Bible) with his
left hand
and a wooden
cross with
his right hand.
On top of
that figure,
there is a
smaller one
which
shows the
“Enthroned
Virgin and
Child with
Saint Catherine
of Alexandria, Mary Magdalen, and angels. The other panels illustrate various episodes of Andrew's
life taken from the thirteenth-century Golden Legend. The upper left panel depicts the calling of Saint
Andrew, with the punishment of a wicked mother.In the upper right is his crucifixion, and below that he
is seen saving a bishop from the devil disguised as a fair woman. From left to right, these are: Saint
Andrew and the woman who prayed to Diana on behalf of her sister; a woman bringing the saint to her
sister; Andrew driving away devils in the forms of dogs; Andrew raising a dead youth; and Andrew
bringing drowned Men to life.”3
The following sculpture is called Pietà, which means “a representation of the Virgin Mary
mourning over the dead body of Christ”4. It was made during the 1400s, and it represents Virgin Marry
and Christ after the Crucifixion. “Created as an object of private devotion, this group is a strikingly
pure
expression of the
Schöne Stil, or
Beautiful Style, an
artistic idiom
that emerged at the
imperial court
in Prague at the end of
the fourteenth
century and
subsequently
resonated in artistic
centers
throughout Europe. The
sculptor
combines an almost
mimetic
rendering of detail and a
selectively
abstract treatment of
surfaces.
Christ's broken,
emaciated
body, naked except for
the loincloth, offers a stark contrast to the Virgin's youthful figure, clad in abundant folds.” 5
The sculpture is made of limestone with multicolor highlights, and its dimensions are about
40cm length and width, with 14cm height. The Virgin is sitting with Christ's body in her arms. She is
3
Unknown. "Works Of Art: The Cloisters." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York:
metmuseum.org. 2009. Web. 05 Nov. 2009. <http://www.metmuseum.org/>.
4
“Pieta." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009.Merriam-Webster Online. 5 November 2009
<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pieta>
5
Unknown. "Works Of Art: The Cloisters." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York:
metmuseum.org. 2009. Web. 05 Nov. 2009. <http://www.metmuseum.org/>.
covered with a red, blue, and golden colored blanket, while most of Christ's body is uncovered. The
sculpture seems to be very graphic as the viewer can easily see Christ's broken ribs, and the blood
wound on his left side. Also clear is the characteristics in Mary's sobbing face.
The Cloisters, is the only museum know to me in New York City which is so rich with art and
architecture of Medieval Europe. It is filled with architectonic objects, paintings and sculptures, both
domestic and religious, dated from the 12th to the 15th century. In agreement with Feldman, “[ An art
work] was guaranteed of its purity” (Feldman 71). Indeed, looking at the above paintings and sculpture,
beyond the beauty, representation, and quantity of the work that artist put, we can find an excellent
quality of artwork to the smallest detail.