Sex and Gender in the Middle Ages November 23, 2025
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: Art exhibit, gender, Metropolitan Museum, Middle ages, NYC, photography, The Cloisters
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The Metropolitan Museum’s Cloisters is one of my favorite spots to visit in NYC. The current show at the Cloisters is called Sex and Gender in the Middle Ages and it is wonderful. With more than 50 pieces from Western Europe created during the 13th through 15th centuries including paintings, statuettes, illuminated manuscripts, textiles, household items and jewelry. The show demonstrates that modern times have no monopoly on sexual humor, gender fluidity or boundary-crossing artwork. Focusing on an era when religion was art’s most frequent subject, the exhibition investigates often overlooked themes of gender and sexuality that scholars say lie beneath these objects’ surfaces. I learned a lot visiting the show (but as usual – I forgot most of it already). The exhibit reveals that many saints (more than 30) changed their gender presentation during their lifetimes, usually female to male.
Scholars emphasize that while the Church had strict doctrines, especially regarding non-procreative sex, the reality was more varied. Art and literature often reflect a more nuanced or even subversive view of sexuality and gender. Key themes include the subordination of women, the broad concept of incest. The interesection of medical science and gender roles and the use of queer theory to uncover hidden aspects o medieval life, like gender variance and non-normative sexual practices.
While at the Zoo 