| |  | | Workshop—Indigo Dyeing | Sunday, September 14
11 am–4 pm
Learn techniques for dyeing with natural indigo. Observe the process of creating an eco-friendly, sugar-based indigo dye vat and learn the history and chemistry behind this time-honored colorant. Experiment with resist-dyeing techniques and produce your own indigo-dyed fabrics alongside artist Isa Rodrigues.
Fee: $125. All materials are provided. Note: Space is limited; advanced registration is required. Registration closes Friday, September 12, 2025, or when registration is full.
Register now → | |  | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | | Spectrum of Desire: Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages | October 17, 2025–March 29, 2026
Gallery 002, Fuentidueña Chapel
Discover a world of powerful desires and fluid identities in the art of the Middle Ages. Set in the stunning atmosphere of The Met Cloisters, Spectrum of Desire explores the often-overlooked themes of sexuality and gender in the medieval past, a period of time when most artistic production served religious purposes.
Desire in the Middle Ages was multifaceted. It could be courtly or carnal, sacred or subversive, and expressed as a kind of longing, suffering, or joy. Medieval artists could be both deeply serious and comical in their evocations of these feelings. Spectrum of Desire opens up new ways of seeing the past through stirring works of art that inspire us to think more expansively about people who lived in the Middle Ages, their relationships, and the artworks they produced.
Featuring more than fifty works—from gold jewelry and ivory sculptures to stained glass, illuminated manuscripts, and woven textiles—this exhibition showcases the richness of visual expression in western Europe from the 13th to the 15th century, drawing primarily from The Met collection. This exploration of the visual language of desire in its many forms invites us to reflect on our own ideas of love, identity, and kinship today.
Learn more → | | | | Accessibility at The Met
The Met is committed to accessibility for all. For information about accessibility, programs, and services for people with disabilities at both Met sites, visit metmuseum.org/access. To request an access accommodation for virtual programs or online resources, email [email protected], or call 212-650-2010. For information about accessibility on our website, see our Website Accessibility Statement. | Spectrum of Desire: Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages is made possible by the Michel David-Weill Fund and Kathryn A. Ploss.
Public programs at The Met Cloisters are made possible in part by The Helen Clay Frick Foundation.
For Education program funders, visit metmuseum.org/educationfundingsupport.
Your support allows the Museum to collect, conserve, and present 5,000 years of world art. Donate now.
Images: Indigo Dyeing image by Isa Rodrigues | Aquamanile in the Form of Phyllis and Aristotle, Netherlandish, late 14th or early 15th century. Copper alloy, 12 ¾ x 7 x 15½ in. (32.5 x 17.9 x 39.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Robert Lehman Collection, 1975 (1975.1.1416) | All other photos by Filip Wolak | | | |
