Diptych with Scenes from the Passion

Art Historical Context

This exquisite 14th-century French diptych, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Medieval Art collection captures pivotal scenes from the Passion of on its two folding panels. Crafted by an unknown artist, it unfolds to reveal intimate vignettes such as the Last Supper, Crucifixion, Descent from Cross, and possibly the Entry into Jerusalem with donkeys, alongside figures like Christ and the Virgin Mary. Donated by J. Pierpont Morgan in1917, this pocket-sized treasure (just 5 3/4 x 8 3/16 inches when open) was designed for personal devotion, allowing medieval worshippers to carry and con...