Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Ashburnham Pentateuch
Late Roman (Rome or North Africa)
Not on view
The Ashburnham Pentateuch, comprising scenes from the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, includes exceptional depictions of people of color. The upper register of this folio represents the tenth plague—the death of the firstborns of Egypt. Anguished mothers, painted in a light shade of pinkish beige, mourn their eldest male children. The fathers and boys are painted dark brown. The skin differences suggest the multiethnic composition of Egyptian society. Other pigments rarely found in late antique manuscripts appear as well, including indigo and Egyptian blue.
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
