
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Noah
Description
These four Old Testament prophets are among the masterpieces of Monaco, a leading late Gothic Florentine painter. Each figure holds an identifying attribute. David, holding a psaltery, is considered a direct ancestor of Christ; Moses holds two tablets of the Ten Commandments featuring pseudo-Hebrew script; Abraham prepares to sacrifice his only son Isaac, prefiguring the sacrifice of Christ; and Noah’s ark, the object of his salvation, is symbolically shaped like the church. The original arrangement and function of this group remains unknown.
Dimensions
Overall 25 7/8 x 17 3/8 in. (65.7 x 44.1 cm); painted surface 22 7/8 x 17 in. (58.1 x 43.2 cm)
Movement / Period
Accession No
68eb4fe0-277c-44e5-a9f8-c4d7bff15849
Official Citations
Curatorial Affinity Stream
Continuing the Universe of Lorenzo Monaco (Piero di Giovanni)
Classical Art • Harmonious Works & Contemporaries
Continuous Discovery