How To Read Medieval Art

By Wendy A. Stein

This Volume, The Sixth In The Metropolitan Museum Of Art’S Popular Series Of How To Read Titles, Introduces The Subjects And Themes Most Frequently Depicted In Medieval Art, Many Of Them Drawn From The Bible And Both Religious And Secular Literature. Included Among The 38 Representative Works Of Art Discussed Are Brilliant Altarpieces, Stained-Glass Windows, Intricate Tapestries, Carved Wood Sculptures, Delicate Ivories, And Captivating Manuscript Illuminations, All From The Holdings Of The Metropolitan Museum, One Of The World’S Most Comprehensive Collections Of Medieval Art. Informative Texts On Iconic Masterworks Such As The Merode Altarpiece, The Unicorn Tapestries, And The Belles Heures Of Jean De France, Duc De Berry Along With Less Familiar Work Highlight The Context In Which The Objects Were Made, Conveying Their Visual And Technical Nuances As Well As Their Broader Symbolic Meaning.

With Its Accessible And Informative Discussions And Superb Full-Color Illustrations, How To Read Medieval Art Explores The Iconographic Themes Of The Period, Making Them Clearly Recognizable And Opening Vistas Onto History And Literature, Faith And Devotion.

Wendy A. Stein Is A Research Associate In The Department Of Medieval Art At The Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, New York.