New York’s corner of the Middle Ages

Associated media

Susan Grange plans to visit this fascinating treasure trove, ‘Until then I have this quiet, gentle gem of a book to enjoy and savour’

The Cloisters: Medieval Art and Architecture by Peter Barnet and Nancy Wu

Genuine mediaeval cloisters on the banks of the Hudson river in New York City? Yes, I did a double-take to check I'd read correctly. But how, why, where, when?

The story of The Cloisters, now a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which houses a wonderful collection of mediaeval art and architecture, begins with George Grey Barnard (1863–1938). Barnard was an American sculptor, trained in Chicago and Paris, who from 1905–13  lived with his family in a small village near Fontainebleau, France. To supplement his income he began to do some dealing in art and artefacts and within a few years had assembled an impressive collection of mediaeval objects, including portions of four cloisters from buildings in southern France. At the turn of the 20th century many fragments of such buildings were still available for collection in France, some even abandoned in fields, others used on farms as storage spaces and even stables.

Officials in Paris began to get nervous as they saw Barnard's collection expanding. Just before the French Senate passed a law to prevent the export of historical monuments in December 1913, Barnard shipped the whole of his collection to New York. He housed his new 'Cloisters Museum' in a building in Upper Manhattan.

In 1925 John D. Rockefeller Jr. (1874–1960)  provided the funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art to buy the collection. He later purchased land to create what is now Fort Tryon Park, at the northern end of Manhattan, which he donated to the city of New York on condition that four acres be set aside to house The Cloisters Museum. Rockefeller also purchased 700 acres on the opposite side of the Hudson River and so was able to create the imposing vista from the museum across the river  to sweeping countryside beyond.

Owing to the largely religious nature of the collection it was decided to build in a style that evoked mediaeval ecclesiastical architecture, the final design not replicating any one particular building but reflecting aspects of a number of them. The museum opened in 1938 and all four of Barnard's original cloisters were incorporated, three of them including gardens inspired by mediaeval design and planting. Some of the galleries incorporated original architectural fragments, others aimed to provide a sympathetic background to works on display. The atmosphere in the galleries was intended to be intimate with limited artificial light and even occasional burning candles.

The Cloisters: Medieval Art and Architecturehas been published to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the opening of the museum to the public as a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art dedicated to the art and architecture of the Middle Ages. It provides a chronological survey of the collection by presenting and discussing 114 works. The aim is that through the study of these works readers can gain a deeper understanding of the traditions and styles of the period, and of the historical and political backgrounds to their creation.

Although the central core of the collection is Romanesque and Gothic art, other periods are represented and the first object to be discussed in the book is an ivory plaque from the time of Charlemagne (reigned as emperor 800–14). The plaque depicts St John the Evangelist holding an open book bearing the opening words of his Gospel.

Object by object the reader is taken on a journey through the history of the Middle Ages with each object represented in full colour with an accompanying article highlighting decoration and possible function, significance and meaning. From ivory plaques to wooden sculptures, from cloisters to apses, crucifixes to frescoes, banners to parchments, doorways to chapels, chapter house to altar frontals, chalices to reliquaries, stone sculptures to stained glass, beakers to effigies, jewellery to wall  hangings, sideboards to plates, tapestries to triptychs, vestments to staircases, lecterns to oil paintings, the collection is a veritable treasure trove of mediaeval art and architecture. The aim of the book overall is to convey something of the experience of visiting The Cloisters, with its aura of serenity and inspiration.

A map of Western Europe AD 1100–1500 on the inside covers shows the original sites of the objects in the collection with modern nations indicated so that locations can be easily identified. A very helpful Glossary is included to illuminate technical terms and a Suggested Readings section, which is wide-ranging but not too overwhelming, opens up further study in this area. A ground plan of the museum helps to give the reader some sense of orientation and as for that spectacular view across the Hudson river...

The Cloisters in definitely on my list of places to go when I am next in New York. Until then I have this quiet, gentle gem of a book to enjoy and savour.

The Cloisters: Medieval Art and Architecture  by Peter Barnet and Nancy Wuis published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 212 pp. 188 colour and 18 mono illus. ISBN 978-0-300-18720-5