The Gathering of Manna
Medium
Wool and silk
Dimensions
Overall: H. 168 x W. 176 in. (426.7 x 447 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Tapestries
Culture
Italian, Florence
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, The Isak and Rose Weinman Foundation Inc. Gift and Rogers Fund, 2004
Accession Number
2004.165
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the opulent world of late Renaissance Florence, *The Gathering of Manna (1595–96) stands as a magnificent wool-and-silk tapestry, an impressive 14 by nearly 15 feet. Designed by the Mannerist master Alessandro Allori in collaboration with weaver Guasparri Bartolomeo Papini it vividly depicts the biblical miracle from Exodus, where heavenly manna sustains the Israelites in the wilderness. Bustling with men, women, and children eagerly collecting the divine gift—rendered as fruit amid blooming flowers and playful putti—this scene bursts with abundance and joy, characteristic of Florentine tap...