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Gothic art

Gold grounds, saints and the first steps towards painted space, in Europe before 1400.

18 works · hang 751 ·

The rooms are imagined; every work on their walls is real.

Walk this roomRehang this room

First room, north wall

  1. Book Cover, by Italian (Sienese) Painter
    Book CoverItalian (Sienese) PainterCourtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. The Assumption of the Virgin, by Bernardo Daddi, 1337–38
    The Assumption of the VirginBernardo Daddi, 1337–38Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. Madonna and Child, by Duccio di Buoninsegna, ca. 1290–1300
    Madonna and ChildDuccio di Buoninsegna, ca. 1290–1300Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  4. The Crucifixion, by Pietro Lorenzetti, 1340s
    The CrucifixionPietro Lorenzetti, 1340sCourtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

First room, south wall

  1. Christ in Majesty with the Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist: Single Leaf from a Book of Rules, by Master of the Washington Coronation, c. 1310–20
    Christ in Majesty with the Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist: Single Leaf from a Book of RulesMaster of the Washington Coronation, c. 1310–20Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. Saint Andrew, by Simone Martini, ca. 1326
    Saint AndrewSimone Martini, ca. 1326Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. Shown from the waist up, a woman wearing a garnet-red robe rests a book and a palm frond against a spiked wheel, all against a gold background in this arched, vertical painting. The woman’s light skin is tinged with pale green, and her cheeks are faint pink. Her shoulders face us, and she slightly looks up and off to our right with gray eyes under curved brows. She has a long, straight nose, and her small, full, bow-shaped lips are closed. Her wavy blond hair is parted down the middle and pulled back at the base of her head. Her red robe has a pattern of delicate diamond shapes and the underside is white, visible where it turns over around the neck. The robe is fastened with a round, gold disk the size of a DVD. Letters there read, “S.K.A.T.E.R.I.N.A.” around the perimeter of a four-lobed, red, blue, and gold geometric design at the center of the brooch. The sky-blue garment beneath her robe has a marine-blue collar. She clasps the palm frond in her left hand, to our right. The hand rests on the book, which is propped against the wheel in front of her, so the frond reaches beyond and above that shoulder, nearly to the edge of the painting. The wheel is edged with short, curving spikes like talons. The woman’s gold crown and round halo blend into the shimmering gold background, which is visibly cracked in some areas. The top of the panel curves up as if into an arch but is cut across the panel over her halo.
    Saint Catherine of AlexandriaBartolomeo Bulgarini, c. 1335/1340Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. A work made of opaque watercolor, gold leaf, and shell gold, with pen and red and white ink (recto), and pen and red and black ink (verso), on parchment.
    The Flagellation and The Crucifixion, from a PsalterGerman, about 1239Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Second room, south wall

  1. The Last Supper, by Ugolino da Siena (Ugolino di Nerio), ca. 1325
    The Last SupperUgolino da Siena (Ugolino di Nerio), ca. 1325Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Two Angels, by North Italian Painter (Verona?), ca. 1330
    Two AngelsNorth Italian Painter (Verona?), ca. 1330Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. The image features four figures depicted upright from head to toe, each with a halo. The person on the far left has short, curly hair, wearing a decorated robe and holding a book, gesturing with the other hand. Next to him, the second figure also has short, curly hair and wears a striped robe, holding a staff. The third person has short hair under a blue and white cap, in a striped robe, holding a book while gesturing. The fourth figure has curly hair under a pointed cap, wearing a robe with blue and red detailing, holding a book with one hand raised. The background is a parchment-like surface with decorative red lining at the border.
    Saints Cyprian, Vitus, Stephan, and CorneliusUnrecorded German maker, third quarter 12th centuryCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. Madonna and Child, by Simone Martini, ca. 1326
    Madonna and ChildSimone Martini, ca. 1326Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Second room, north wall

  1. This is a drawing of a decorated manuscript page. The image features an ornate design with illuminated letters and intricate floral borders. The text is in Latin, written in a Gothic script, with larger, stylized letters at the beginning of paragraphs. Floral motifs and vine patterns, painted in vibrant colors including gold, blue, and red, frame the text. Illustrations of a bird and a peacock are integrated into the decorative borders. A small heraldic shield appears just below the middle of the page, adding a heraldic element to the composition. The craftsmanship and artistry associated with illuminated manuscript traditions are showcased, inviting viewers to appreciate the detailed embellishments and the skillful blending of text and imagery.
    Manuscript Leaf from a Book of Hours (incip. Passionis)Unrecorded French maker, 1390Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. The Adoration of the Magi, by Giotto di Bondone, possibly ca. 1320
    The Adoration of the MagiGiotto di Bondone, possibly ca. 1320Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. Saint Julian, by Taddeo Gaddi, 1340s
    Saint JulianTaddeo Gaddi, 1340sCourtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  4. Saint Catherine of Alexandria, by Pietro Lorenzetti, ca. 1342
    Saint Catherine of AlexandriaPietro Lorenzetti, ca. 1342Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art