-Photo courtesy of CityRoom

Every ArtHum student knows that St. John the Divine is a goldmine for statues, painting, and generally beautiful stuff. But even if you’re not an old hand at looking at old pretty things, it’s certainly worth taking a walk down the street to see St. John’s new additions to the displayed collection.

The two newcomers, both 16 ft. long 17th century tapestries, now hang above eye level in the North and South transepts. They are both part of the Barberini collection, named for the cardinal who commissioned them as a gift for Pope Urban VIII.

The tapestries, titled “Agony in the Garden” and “The Crucifixion” are meant to convey a theme of struggle, relating to both the season of Lent, which ends in a few weeks, and the fire of 2001 that left the church and its art under the wraps of renovation for seven years.

But even if you don’t feel the pain and penitence welling up, the fine detail and expertly restored colors of the tapestries, particularly in “The Crucifixion” will strike you immediately. And for such a Met-like experience, you won’t even have to use a MetroCard ride.