Floor plan

Time and placeThe 15th century

The 15th century

Bacchanal with a Wine Vat, by Andrea Mantegna, Before 1475
Text Page, Persian Prose (recto); The Story of Adam peace upon him, his Sons and Progeny (verso), c. 1425
Preface (verso) from a double-page frontispiece of a Shahnama of Firdausi (940-1019 or 1025), c. 1444
An old man and a young woman holding an infant are seated together in the center of this almost square painting. All three people have pale, peachy skin. To our left, the man sits on a low, tan brick wall with his head bowed to look at the baby on the woman’s lap. A periwinkle-blue cloak is wrapped around the kelly-green robe that covers his shoulders, back, and legs. One hand grips a short staff planted on the ground. His receding white hair and beard are thin and scraggly with tufts sticking out over his ears. The woman sits next to and slightly in front of him, to our right, on a low rock, her body angled toward the man. A long, cobalt-blue cloak is draped around her shoulders and covers her knees over her rose-pink gown. Her honey-brown hair is parted in the middle and gathered at the back of her head. Her brown eyes look down at the infant, who is blond with brown eyes. A long white shawl is tucked into the neckline of her dress, drapes over her shoulders, and wraps under the baby as she cradles his body with one hand under his backside and the other behind his head. The baby lies on his back with his head turned toward the woman, and he points to her with one outstretched arm. The dirt ground is scattered with pebbles that make a loose ring around the trio, with moss-green growth to either side. A brown brick wall fills the upper half of the composition behind the people and extends off the top edge. A rounded arch pierces the back wall to our right of the woman. On the other side of the opening, trees with copper-brown leaves grow up along the left and the landscape beyond opens onto rocky hills with a white, square tower. In the deep distance, the silhouette of a town is painted in robin’s egg-blue against a pale peach horizon line. Thin, white clouds skim across the blue sky above.
The Last Supper, by Lucantonio degli Uberti, c. 1500
Study for the Equestrian Monument to Francesco Sforza, by Antonio Pollaiuolo, early to mid 1480s
Adoration of the Shepherds, c. 1500
Royal Reception in a Landscape, left folio from the double frontispiece of a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (Persian, about 940–1019 or 1025), 1444

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Works made in the 15th century, anywhere in the world.

First room, north wall

  1. Bacchanal with a Wine Vat, by Andrea Mantegna, Before 1475
    Bacchanal with a Wine VatAndrea Mantegna, Before 1475Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Text Page, Persian Prose (recto); The Story of Adam peace upon him, his Sons and Progeny (verso), c. 1425
    Text Page, Persian Prose (recto); The Story of Adam peace upon him, his Sons and Progeny (verso)Unrecorded Persian maker, c. 1425Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  3. Preface (verso) from a double-page frontispiece of a Shahnama of Firdausi (940-1019 or 1025), c. 1444
    Preface (verso) from a double-page frontispiece of a Shahnama of Firdausi (940-1019 or 1025)Unrecorded Persian maker, c. 1444Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  4. An old man and a young woman holding an infant are seated together in the center of this almost square painting. All three people have pale, peachy skin. To our left, the man sits on a low, tan brick wall with his head bowed to look at the baby on the woman’s lap. A periwinkle-blue cloak is wrapped around the kelly-green robe that covers his shoulders, back, and legs. One hand grips a short staff planted on the ground. His receding white hair and beard are thin and scraggly with tufts sticking out over his ears. The woman sits next to and slightly in front of him, to our right, on a low rock, her body angled toward the man. A long, cobalt-blue cloak is draped around her shoulders and covers her knees over her rose-pink gown. Her honey-brown hair is parted in the middle and gathered at the back of her head. Her brown eyes look down at the infant, who is blond with brown eyes. A long white shawl is tucked into the neckline of her dress, drapes over her shoulders, and wraps under the baby as she cradles his body with one hand under his backside and the other behind his head. The baby lies on his back with his head turned toward the woman, and he points to her with one outstretched arm. The dirt ground is scattered with pebbles that make a loose ring around the trio, with moss-green growth to either side. A brown brick wall fills the upper half of the composition behind the people and extends off the top edge. A rounded arch pierces the back wall to our right of the woman. On the other side of the opening, trees with copper-brown leaves grow up along the left and the landscape beyond opens onto rocky hills with a white, square tower. In the deep distance, the silhouette of a town is painted in robin’s egg-blue against a pale peach horizon line. Thin, white clouds skim across the blue sky above.
    The Holy FamilyGiorgione, probably c. 1500Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

First room, south wall

  1. The Last Supper, by Lucantonio degli Uberti, c. 1500
    The Last SupperLucantonio degli Uberti, c. 1500Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. Study for the Equestrian Monument to Francesco Sforza, by Antonio Pollaiuolo, early to mid 1480s
    Study for the Equestrian Monument to Francesco SforzaAntonio Pollaiuolo, early to mid 1480sCourtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. Adoration of the Shepherds, c. 1500
    Adoration of the ShepherdsUnrecorded Italian maker, c. 1500Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  4. Royal Reception in a Landscape, left folio from the double frontispiece of a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (Persian, about 940–1019 or 1025), 1444
    Royal Reception in a Landscape, left folio from the double frontispiece of a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (Persian, about 940–1019 or 1025)Unrecorded Persian maker, 1444Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Second room, south wall

  1. A woman sits and supports a baby standing on her lap, both against a gold background in this arched, vertical painting. The woman and baby’s light skin is shaded with faint green, and they have pale pink cheeks. The woman’s body faces us. She tips her head toward the baby who stands on her knee, to our right. The woman looks at us with light brown eyes under curving brows. She has a long, straight nose, and her small pink lips are closed. Her blond hair is mostly covered by a midnight-blue robe that drapes over her shoulders, across her lap, and pools on the floor. The robe is lined with goldenrod yellow, edged with bright gold, and has gold starburst-like designs on the shoulder we can see and top of the head. The dress she wears underneath has more gold stars creating a pattern across the pearl-white fabric. A sky-blue scarf wraps over her head and loops across her shoulders. The baby holds one end of the scarf, and his other elbow rests on the woman’s shoulder. She props him up with both hands. He has a cap of blond curls and chubby cheeks with delicate features. His geranium-red garment falls over a pale blue skirt that reaches his bare feet. In the hand near the woman’s shoulder, he holds a scroll with the letters “EGO S.” The floor beneath them is mint green and has gold writing across the front, reading, “AVE.G ANN O.D M.CCCC.XIII.” The woman and baby’s disc-like gold halos blend into the gold background, which is visibly cracked in some areas. The panel comes to a pointed arch at the top.
    Madonna and ChildLorenzo Monaco, 1413Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. Virgin and Child, by Bernardino Luini, 1500s
    Virgin and ChildBernardino Luini, 1500sCourtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  3. A work made of tempera on panel.
    Saints Apollonia, Barbara, and AgathaMaster Alejo (Alejo Andía?), 1490–1500Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  4. Portrait of a Woman with a Man at a Casement, by Fra Filippo Lippi, ca. 1440
    Portrait of a Woman with a Man at a CasementFra Filippo Lippi, ca. 1440Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Second room, north wall

  1. The painting depicts three adults and a child. The central adult, a woman, holds the child securely to her chest. The woman has pale skin and a white cloth covering her head, and she is wearing a dark cloak over a red robe. The child has curly light brown hair and is unclothed, looking towards the left. A bald man with a white beard, wearing a red garment and holding a key is on the left. On the right, another woman wears a white headscarf and a dark garment, holding a red cross. The background is dark, highlighting the people and their attire. All four of them have thin halos around their heads.
    Madonna and Child with SaintsUnrecorded maker, c. 1490/1500Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. Saint Anthony the Abbot in the Wilderness, by Sano di Pietro (Ansano di Pietro di Mencio), ca. 1440
    Saint Anthony the Abbot in the WildernessSano di Pietro (Ansano di Pietro di Mencio), ca. 1440Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. Madonna and Child with Saint Jerome and Saint Bernardino of Siena, by Benvenuto di Giovanni, c. 1480/1485
    Madonna and Child with Saint Jerome and Saint Bernardino of SienaBenvenuto di Giovanni, c. 1480/1485Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. A work made of tempera on panel.
    Retable of Saints Athanasius, Blaise, and AgathaMaster of Riglos, c. 1440–c. 1445Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago