Two noteworthy exhibitions are on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City: “MANDALAS — Mapping the Buddhist Art of Tibet” and “SIENA: The Rise of Painting 1300 — 1350.”
The show entitled “SIENA: The Rise of Painting 1300–1350” possesses the good fortune that results when two venerable institutions — in this case The National Gallery, London and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (colloquially, “the Met”) — collaborate in order to break new ground in the understanding of Renaissance painting. Sienese artists such as Duccio di Buoninsegna, Pietro Lorenzetti and Ambrogio Lorenzetti played a pivotal role in the development of Western religious art at the dawn of the Italian Renaissance. The Orsini Polyptych (pictured above and below) was created circa 1335–40 using tempera and gold leaf on panel. It is a fine example of the dramatic expressiveness of the artist Simone Martini (ca. 1284 — 1344).
Panels from the Orsini Polyptych by Simone Martini
The achievements and innovations of the painters from Siena were influential in Florence (considered the center of the Renaissance) and beyond. The motifs used by Martini in his Orsini Polyptych, for example, were admired and copied in Northern Europe, where his influence can been seen in the manuscript (below) created by the Franco-Netherlandish Limbourg Brothers over 60 years later.
The Lamentation, 1405-09 from a prayer book decorated with the Limbourg Brothers’ illuminations
The Nativity with the Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel, ca. 1308-11 by Duccio di Buoninsegna
Duccio di Buoninsegna
Considered the greatest of the Sienese painters, Duccio di Buoninsegna (known as “Duccio”) was born around the year 1255 when the Tuscan city of Siena was one of the great capitals of Italy, having defeated the Florentines in 1260. Before his death, circa 1319, Duccio founded the Sienese School, fused the fresh spirituality of the Gothic style with the formality of the Italo-Byzantine tradition, and painted the most important altarpiece for Siena’s cathedral. Duccio is widely regarded as one of the most influential Italian painters of the Middle Ages.
The Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and Aurea, 1312-15 by Duccio (above and below left). Virgin and Child (below right), circa 1290-1300, a small painting by Duccio di Buoninsegna, was purchased by the Met in 2004 for $45,000,000.
Crucifixion with Saints Nicholas and Gregory and the Redeemer with Angels, circa 1311-18 by Duccio di Buoninsegna
Simone Martini
Christ Discovered in the Temple, 1342 (above right) by Simone Martini
Saint Luke (from the Palazzo Pubblico altarpiece), 1326-30 by Simone Martini
Virgin and Child with Four Saints and a Dominican Nun, 1325 by Simone Martini
Simone Martini, the Lorenzetti brothers, and the other artists on view here did not survive the catastrophic bubonic plague known as the Black Death that gripped Europe from 1346 to 1353 killing as many as 50 million people, perhaps 50% of Europe’s 14th-century population.
Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1320 — 1348)
Madonna del Latte (Nursing Virgin), ca. 1525 & Croce Sagomata (silhouetted crucifix) ca. 1520 by Ambrogio Lorenzetti
The Miracle of the Grain Ships, 1332-34, one of four panels (below) created by Ambrogio Lorenzetti
The Crucifixion, 1340s by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, one of two surviving panels illustrating the Passion
Christ Before Pilate & The Crucifixion, 1340s by Ambrogio Lorenzetti
The Annunciation, 1344 by Ambrogio Lorenzetti
Pietro Lorenzetti (1280 — 1348)
Saint Sabinus before the Roman Governor of Tuscany, 1335-42 by Pietro Lorenzetti
Virgin Enthroned, 1345 by Pietro Lorenzetti & The Crucifixion, 1345 by Ambrogio Lorenzetti
The Pieve Altarpiece, ca. 1320 by Pietro Lorenzetti
Head of Christ, 1338 {walnut with polychromy} by Lando di Pietro
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine, ca. 1340 by Barna da Siena
Lippo Memmi, a follower of Simone Martini, decorated this wood panel, ca. 1350
“SIENA: The Rise of Painting 1300 — 1350” Will Close on January 26, 2025
A mandala is both a symbolic universe and a visual prayer that in Tibet is used to conceptualize a rapid path (or map) to spiritual enlightenment. The modern renderings of mandalas shown here are the result of a newly commissioned work of contemporary art by Tenzing Rigdol, a Tibetan artist. The bulk of objects and imagery in the “Mandalas” show explores Himalayan Buddhist devotional art through more than 100 artifacts and paintings, most dating from the 12th to 15th centuries.
Thousand-Armed Chenresi, a Cosmic Form of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, 1430 by Sonam Gyaltsen
Distemper on Cloth Hevajra Mandala, 15th c., Tibet
Mahakala Protector of the Tent, Distemper on Cloth, 1500, Tibet & 7th-c. Sandstone, India
Distemper on Cotton Painting, ca. 1450-1500, Tibet
Buddha Akshobhya, 13th-c. Distemper on Cloth, Tibet
“MANDALAS — Mapping the Buddhist Art of Tibet” Will Be on View at the Met in New York City through January 12, 2025
Previous Exhibitions at the Met
Through September 2024, the Metropolitan Museum of Art presented “SLEEPING BEAUTIES — Reawakening Fashion,” a large show featuring over 200 garments spanning four centuries, including the “Butterfly” ball gowns circa 1955 (below) designed by Charles James.
2024 Ensemble (above left) by Francesco Risso for Marni, the Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1994
Dress with hand-painted pattern of sea life, 2020, by Iris van Herpen
Sarah Burton’s 2011 Dress of black silk organza appliqued with painted feathers in the form of Monarch Butterflies {featured in her debut collection for Alexander McQueen}
Wedding ensemble, originally worn at a wedding in 1930, from Callot Soeurs, a leading Parisian design house opened in 1895
“Nautiloid” & “Physalia” dresses with hand-painted patterns of sea life, 2020, by Iris van Herpen
2023 Collina Strada “Meadowsweet” dress designed by Hillary Taymour
Marni’s 2024 cotton canvas Dress (above & below left) designed by Francesco Risso with digitally printed polychrome flowers
Christian Dior’s “May” ball gown, 1953Rodarte’s 2012 Dress inspired by “Sunflowers” painted by Vincent van Gogh
Fashion inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s paintings were on display as part of the show entitled SLEEPING BEAUTIES.
ABOVE: Black silk charmeuse Dress {Maison Martin Margiela, 2014} in the pattern of Van Gogh’s painting “Irises” & BELOW: Detail from Yves Saint Laurent’s “Irises” jacket, 1988
“Venus” ball gown, 1949 (above & below left) from the House of Dior
“Rose Rouge” ball gown (center) by Yves Saint Laurent for the House of Dior, 1958
The Collection of Marc Jacobs put a fresh spin on iconic vintage dress designs
Evening Dresses, 2021, by Ronald van der Kemp
This 2010 dress (above left) by Alexander McQueen with a digitally-printed pattern of sea life is embroidered with blue enamel stones in the shape of fish scales (below)
Hat, 2007 by John Galliano
Detail (above) from the “Junon” ball gown, 1949 (below) by Christian Dior
EARTH, AIR & WATER: Nature is a theme that unites and inspires this exhibition on fashion by focusing on flowers & foliage, birds & insects, fish & shells
Richard Malone’s nylon knits, 2020 (above) made from recycled ocean waste
Silk satin Cape embroidered with sequins, pearls, beads in a dove pattern, 2017, by Gucci Black silk faille dress, 1946 House of Dior, embroidered with leather flowers / glass beads
French Evening Dress & Coat circa 1912 (left) & 1878 Dress (right) by Mme Martin Decalf
Red silk chiffon Hat with black coq feathers, 1992, by Jasper Conran
“Digitalis” Evening Dress, 2018 by Mary Katrantzou {synthetic faille / digitally printed flowers}
Biodegradable “Algae Sequin” dress derived from bamboo & seaweed, 2021 (above center) designed by Phillip Lim
Blue Moire Silk Taffeta Ensemble by Olivier Theyskens, 2000
Late 18-c. French Court Suit and Pierre Balmain’s “Oriane” 1954 dress (above left) & Evening Dress, 1938 (right) by Madeleine Vionnet
Dress by Jun Takahashi, 2024 for Undercover, the high-end Japanese streetwear brand
“Memento Mori” Necklace, 1986 by Simon Costin & floral Hat
“Tulipes Hollandaises” by Charles F. Worth, 1889 & Ensemble by Dries Van Noten, 2014
SLEEPING BEAUTIES: Reawakening Fashion Closed in New York City in September 2024
The hottest museum tickets in New York City during 2023-24 season were for exhibitions focused on THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE, KARL LAGERFELD, VINCENT VAN GOGH, and EDOUARD MANET & EDGAR DEGAS, all presented at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Even though those and other well-regarded shows have now closed, you can view highlights from “The Harlem Renaissance,” “Women Dressing Women,” “Manet / Degas,” “Karl Lagerfeld — A Line of Beauty,” and “Van Gogh’s Cypresses” in this article, plus you will learn about the permanent collection and various wings and departments within the Met, the premier art museum in New York City.
Elks Marching, 1934 by Marvin Gray Johnson
On view through July 28, 2024, the show entitled THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE contrasted the depiction of Black life by artists living & working in Harlem with the portrayal of the international African diaspora by their European counterparts, including Henri Matisse.
Cocktails, circa 1926 by Archibald J. Motley, Jr.
Harlem — known for jazz clubs, gospel choirs and African-American heritage — attracts tourists and locals alike. This vibrant New York City neighborhood is located in Upper Manhattan, bounded by Central Park North, Fifth Avenue, the Harlem River, and the Hudson River. Originally a Dutch village dating back to 1658, and named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands, Harlem is home to the famous Apollo Theater located on 125th Street, the neighborhood’s main artery.
Louis R. Drenthe, 1930 by Nola Hatterman & Flowers, 1939 by William H. Johnson
Girl with Pomegranate, 1940 by Laura Wheeler Waring
Aaron Douglas, 1930 by Edwin Harleston & Marian Anderson, 1944 by Laura Wheeler Waring
Portrait of a Cultured Lady, 1948 by Archibald J. Motley, Jr. & Smoking My Pipe, 1934 by Samuel Joseph Brown, Jr.
Josephine Baker, circa 1925, by Adolf de Meyer
Dans la Rue, 1929 by Archibald J. Motley, Jr.
Langston Hughes, 1925 by Winold Reiss
Asia, 1946 by Henri Matisse
Girl in a Green Cap, 1930 by Laura Wheeler Waring
W.E.B. Du Bois, 1925 by Winold Reiss
The Block, 1971 by Romare Bearden
Brown Girl After the Bath, 1931 (left) by Archibald J. Motley, Jr. & White Feathers, 1912 by Kees van Dongen
This groundbreaking and inspirational exhibit (featuring over 160 paintings, photographs and film) explored the development of Black modern art in New York City and Paris since 1920 and broke new ground regarding the international influence of African culture on 20th-century art.
The Harlem Renaissance Was on View in New York City Until July 2024
Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery Through Reconstruction, 1934 by Aaron Douglas
The Principal Wife, 1965 (above center) by Sheila Hicks {silk, linen, wool, synthetic fibers}
A Fresh Examination of Textiles as a Medium in International Art History
Feathered Panel (feathers on camelid fiber, cotton), 600 — 900, Peru (above) & Embroidered Border Fragment, circa 4th-century BC (below left), Peru
Lenore Tawney (1907 — 2007) used rayon, wool & emulated the Peruvian openwork technique of gauze to weave original works of art (above) during the 1960s
Tunic, 1460-1540, cotton & camelid fiber woven in Southern Peru at the time of the Inca Empire
The dryness along the desert coasts of South America (in what is now Chile and Peru) has enabled the remarkable preservation of the natural camelid fibers used in these garments over millennia. The geometric wave pattern (above) used to create this tunic (shown below) differs from the checkerboard patterns which were a hallmark of Inca identity, even though the date of this shirt — 1460-1540 — indicates that it was fabricated during the period of Inca occupation of the central Peruvian coast, a century before the Spanish invasion. Therefore, the local weaving traditions continued to flourish in this region despite the imperial rule of the Inca.
The Exhibit “Weaving Abstraction in Ancient and Modern Art” Was on Display in New York City Through June 2024
Olga de Amaral, born 1932 in Colombia, combined gold leaf on linen to weave tile tapestries such as Alchemy 13, 1984 (above)
Bad News at Court from a Manuscript “History of a Thousand Years” {Mughal}, circa 1592
Painter and printmaker Howard Hodgkin (1932 — 2017) assembled this painting/drawing collection, spanning the late 1500s to the middle 1800s
Majaraja Ranjit Singh in a Bazaar, circa 1830
Book Cover with tree, birds, insects, circa 1700
Majaraja Medini Pal Smoking a Hookah, 1730 & A Pair of Mynahs {Mughal}, 1660
Majaraja Smoking a Hookah, circa 1685
In Mirza’s Room, 1995 by Howard Hodgkin & Rama’s Forest Dwelling in Panchavati, 1605 (below)
“Indian Skies” Closed in New York City in June 2024
In 2023-24, with so many fashion houses managed by men in New York City and throughout Europe, the Met decided to present “Women Dressing Women” to set the record straight on contributions made by female designers.
Designs by Sarah Burton & Elsa Schiaparelli
In October 2023, when Sarah Burton departed Alexander McQueen — where she worked for 26 years, and served as the brand’s creative director since its founder committed suicide in 2010 — the fashion world asked “Where are the women in positions of power in our industry?”
Since the fashion conglomerate Kering announced that Ms. Burton was replaced by Sean McGirr (a white man), the top positions at Rochas, Tod’s and Moschino have been filled by three more white men, all Italians. It is perhaps even more astounding to recognize that “Women Dressing Women” marked the first time the Met devoted a show solely to female fashion designers in the 85 years since the Costume Institute joined the museum.
This exhibition, which was on view in New York City through March 2024, served as more than a celebration of talented female designers from the early 20th century to the present. “Women Dressing Women” represented both an awakening and a timely provocation about equality and power in a multi-trillion-dollar industry that caters primarily to women!
Yellow Wool Coat, 1968 (left) by Zandra Rhodes; Leopard-print ensembles, 1972 by Diane von Furstenberg and Barbara Hulanicki; Yellow & Brown-striped skirt suit, 1966 by Betsey Johnson
Black silk velvet Evening Dresses from 1928 by Sonia Levienne & 1938 by Valentina Schlee (above left) & Silk Taffeta “Cyclone” Evening Gown by Jeanne Lanvin, 1939 (above right)
Schiaparelli’s green silk Evening Dress, 1937
Ivory silk organza Dress trimmed with monkey fur by Ana de Pombo, 1938 (left) & a 2012 White silk organza Ensemble (right) by Sarah Burton, who was at the helm at Alexander McQueen for 13 years and turned that iconic label into a modern luxury powerhouse
“Parfleche” Dress, 2021 of black silk satin by Jamie Okuma, a self-taught fashion designer based on the La Jolla California Indian Reservation
Gospel Book with Journey of the Magi, 1510-30, Ethiopia
The exhibit “Africa and Byzantium” explored the profound artistic contributions from North and East Africa — Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia and other powerful kingdoms — on the Byzantine Empire (330 — 1453). This special exhibition closed on March 3, 2024.
While art history has long emphasized the glories of Byzantium, this show shed new light (with art rarely or never seen before in public) on the staggering artistic achievements of medieval Africa.
Painted Wood Chalice Case, mid-18th century, Egypt
Virgin Hodegetria (She Who Shows the Way), early-13th century Icon, Constantinople & Virgin and Child, Saints & Angels, late 6th-century Icon, Constantinople
Gospel Book, late 14th-century, Ethiopia {BELOW: Gold Bracelet, circa 400, Egypt}
St. George, Virgin & Child, late 15th-century, Ethiopia & St. George, early 13th-c. Icon, Egypt
St. George & the Virgin, circa 1500, Ethiopia
“British Vision 1700 — 1900”
Department of Drawings & Prints, Closed March 5, 2024
Flower Study, 1866 (above right) by John Jessop Hardwick
The Orange Market, with the Rialto Bridge Beyond, Venice, 1867 by James Holland
Fanny Eaton, 1860 (left) by Simeon Solomon
Rouen, 1821 by Richard Parkes Bonington
Leith Hill from Broadmoor, Surrey, 1860 by Edmund George Warren
Figures on a Beach in Northern France, 1830 by Thomas Shotter Boys
St. Ives Bridge, Huntingdonshire, 1895 by William Fraser Garden
VERTIGO OF COLOR — Matisse, Derain, and the Origins of Fauvism
Woman with a Shawl, Madame Matisse in a Kimono, 1905 by André Derain
The Met presented a special exhibit entitled “VERTIGO OF COLOR — Matisse, Derain, and the Origins of Fauvism” from October 13 through January 21, 2024. Co-organized with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 65 works of art (watercolors, drawings and paintings) by Henri Matisse and André Derain revealed how these two great Fauvists manipulated colors in radical ways — where nature took on hues responding to the artists’ sensations, rather than reality — to create the first important modernist movement of the 20th century.
The Faubourg of Collioure, 1905 by Derain
Still Life, circa 1905 by Henri Matisse
View of Collioure, 1907 by Matisse
Fishing Boats, Collioure, 1905 by Derain
Landscape at Collioure. Study for “The Joy of Life,” 1905 by Matisse
Still Life with Geranium, 1906 by Matisse
Portrait of Henri Matisse, 1905 by André Derain
The Port of Collioure, 1905 by Derain
Collioure, 1905 by Derain
Fishing Boats, Collioure, 1905 by Derain
The Palace of Westminster, 1906-07 by Derain
Mountains at Collioure, 1905 by André Derain
“Matisse, Derain & the Origins of Fauvism” Closed in January 2024 in New York City
Exhibition Space in the Lehman Wing
This exhibit dedicated to Fauvism was presented in the Lehman Wing, one of the most serene areas inside the Met. The Lehman Wing possesses two levels of gallery space, and we encourage you to stop in to unwind and to view some of the fine pieces of art that are regularly on display, plus the “Mandalas” exhibit on display through January 12, 2025.
This new work of contemporary art by Tenzing Rigdol, a Tibetan artist, was commissioned for the MANDALAS exhibit
Masterpieces in the Lehman Wing
Princesse de Broglie, 1851-53 by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres
The Creation of the World & the Expulsion from Paradise, 1445 by Giovanni di Paolo
A Goldsmith in His Shop, 1449 by Petrus Christus
Coronation of the Virgin, 1455 by Giovanni di Paolo
Steven & Channing enjoying the intimate alcoves inside the Lehman Wing, with Virgin and Child with a Donor Presented by Saint Jerome, 1450 (above left) by a Bavarian Master
Saint Anthony the Abbot in the Wilderness, 1435 by Osservanza Master
The Holy Family, 1527 by Workshop of Joos van Cleve (left) & Saints John the Evangelist and Mary Magdalen, 1335 by Neapolitan Follower of Giotto (right)
Portrait of a Woman, 1475 by a Netherlandish or French Painter
Christ Carrying the Cross, circa 1577 (left) & St. Jerome as Scholar, ca. 1610 (right) by El Greco
The Adoration of the Magi, circa 1340 by a Follower of Giotto
The Annunciation, 1480 by Hans Memling
Portrait of a Woman, 1632 by Rembrandt
A Pond near Nangis, 1829 by Paul-Désiré Trouillebert
Portrait of a Man, 1632 (left) & Portrait of Gerard de Lairesse, 1665-67 by Rembrandt
View of Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme, 1896 by Edgar Degas
Misia at the Piano, 1895 & Mme Vuillard in a Set Designer’s Studio, 1893 by Édouard Vuillard
The Bouchardon Mill, Crozant, 1898 by Armand Guillaumin
Evening Calm, Concarneau, Opus 220, 1891 by Paul Signac
Tahitian Women Bathing, 1892 by Paul Gauguin
Before Dinner, 1924 by Pierre Bonnard
Boats on the Seine at Chatou, 1906 by Maurice de Vlaminck
Avenue du Bois, 1925 by Kees van Dongen
House Behind Trees, 1906 by Georges Braque
House on the Seine near Vernon, 1916 by Pierre Bonnard
Houses on the Achterzaan, 1871 by Claude Monet
Maria, 1907 by Kees van Dongen
Railroad Bridge over the Marne at Joinville, 1871-75 by Armand Guillaumin
The Bridge at Villenueve-la-Garenne, 1872 by Alfred Sisley
Olive Trees at Collioure, 1906 by Henri Matisse
Sea and Cliffs, 1885 by Auguste Renoir
The New British Galleries
Portia, 1886 (above left) by John Everett Millais
Princess Elizabeth, 1606 by Robert Peake the Elder
The Music Lesson, 1765 {porcelain} by Joseph Willems
Glass Vases, circa 1880 — 1890 from London
Exhibits Presented in New York City During 2023
The Balcony, 1868 by Édouard Manet
A blockbuster exhibit on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through January 7, 2024 was entitled “MANET / DEGAS,” a collaborative effort with the Musée d’Orsay.
The Manet / Degas show highlighted two significant (and contrasting) contributors to the “new” style of painting explored in Paris between the 1860s and 1880s. It was displayed at the Musée d’Orsay during the summer of 2023 before traveling to New York City.
In a Café, 1875 by Degas
Boating, 1874 by Édouard Manet
Ëmile Zola, 1868 by Manet
Young Lady in 1866, 1866 by Manet (left) & The Dancing Class, 1870 by Edgar Degas (right)
Semiramis Building Babylon, 1861 by Degas
The Madonna of the Rabbit, after Titian, 1850 by Manet
The Dead Toreador, circa 1864 by Édouard Manet {National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.}
Berthe Morisot in Mourning, 1874 by Édouard Manet
Interior, 1868 by Degas {also entitled “The Rape”}
Olympia, 1863 by Manet
Young Woman with Ibis, 1857 by Degas
Plum Brandy, 1877 by Manet
The Dancing Class, 1870 by Degas
Visit to a Museum, 1879 by Degas
Therese de Gas, 1863 by Edgar Degas {Portrait of the artist’s sister, Musée d’Orsay}
The Millinery Shop, 1879 by Degas
“Lagerfeld’s fluid lines united his designs for Balmain, Patou, Chloé, Fendi, Chanel, and his eponymous label, Karl Lagerfeld, creating a diverse and prolific body of work unparalleled in the history of fashion,” according to the Met Museum. The 150 creations by the German-born designer assembled by the Met’s Costume Institute, dating from the 1950s through 2019, were on view in New York City until July 16, 2023.
This pleated dress of black silk tulle appliqued with polychrome goose feathers required 800+ hours of craftsmanship, CHANEL 2017-18
Dress of black & beige silk satin crepe de chine (right) overlaid with silk lace, CHANEL 1986
Dress (center) of black viscose-silk velvet printed with celestial motifs, FENDI 2014-15FENDI blouse & skirt of white silk chiffon printed with polychrome circle motifs, 2008 (left) inspired by Sonia Delaunay’s 1938 painting (right)Dress of black silk tulle (right) with a Mandarin-style collar, accessorized with Chinese-inspired jadeite jewelry, CHANEL 2009-10
Dress & gloves of gold silk chiffon (far left) appliqued with metal lace, embroidered with gold sequins, cord, leaves & bugle beads, CHANEL 1996-97Coat of black silk organza & satin embroidered with polychrome sequins, gold beads, inspired by a 1750 Louis XV Chinese lacquer cabinet, CHANEL 1996-97
“Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” Closed in New York City in July 2023
A Wheatfield, with Cypresses, 1889 by Vincent van Gogh
Orchard Bordered by Cypress Trees, 1888
The Starry Night, 1889
Through August 27, 2023, the Met displayed a tightly-conceived thematic exhibit of “Van Gogh’s Cypresses.” Some 40 works of art, including “The Starry Night” (above) from the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, illuminated Vincent van Gogh’s fascination with the distinctive evergreen trees that sparked his creativity during his two years in the South of France.
Farmhouse Among Olive Trees, 1889 & Drawbridge, 1888
Garden with Weeping Willow, 1888
Trees in the Garden of the Asylum, 1889
Field with Poppies, 1889
“Van Gogh’s Cypresses” Was on View in New York City During the Summer of 2023
Landscape Under Turbulent Skies, 1889 by Vincent van Gogh
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is open from 10:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon, closed on Wednesdays, and we suggest you plan a visit in the early evening on a Friday or Saturday when the Met museum offers extended hours from 10:00 in the morning until 9:00 in the evening!
View of Midtown Manhattan & Central Park from the Roof Garden (open May-October, weather permitting) atop the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Enjoying the Permanent Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Imperial Napoleonic Egg (1912) in green enamel (upper left) & Imperial Caucasus Egg (1893) in bronze (right) from the House of Carl Fabergé
Harpsichord converted to a Piano,1754 {BELOW: South Asian sitars, 1940 — 1990}
While some of the possessions of the Met may also be commonly found in other Western museums — such as furniture, tapestries, and antique weapons / armor from around the world — the most wonderful quality of museums in the United States in general is the broad range of ceramics, jewelry, timepieces, glass, fashion, photographs, mathematical & musical instruments, and architectural elements on display. In other words, art museums in North America are often surprising (and never boring) because they do not limit their purpose to the exhibition of sculpture and painting.
Golden Harpsichord by the Italian instrument maker Michele Todini (1616 — 1690)
Box with Falcon Statuette, 332 — 30 B.C. Egypt
“The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing” (opened in 1982) housing fine art from Africa, Oceania and the Americas is unique; unfortunately, this section of the museum is closed for renovation through 2025. The good news is that a number of pieces from the Rockefeller Wing may be seen in a room adjacent to Egyptian art under the title “The African Origin of Civilization.”
Iyoba (Queen Mother) Pendant Mask, 16th century by an Edo artist & Serpent Headdress, early 20th century by a Baga artist
Sphinx in the Met’s Wing of 40 Egyptian galleries & the Dept. of Arms and Armor (right)
Temple of Dendur, Egyptian Wing
The Temple of Dendur {carved from Aeolian sandstone} was completed by 10 B.C.
BELOW: 1st century B.C. Roman Wall Frescos
Greco-Roman Art
Roman Statue of an Aristocratic Boy {bronze}, 27 B.C. — A.D. 14
Etruscan Chariot {bronze, inlaid with ivory}, 6th century B.C.
Swan-Neck Glass Bottles, 19th century, Arabic
Reception Room, Damascus, 1707, Syria
Pear-shaped Bottles, 17th century, Iran
Ottoman Carpets
Fountain, House in Damascus
Reception Room, Damascus, 1707, Syria
Enameled Glass Bottle, 13th c. (above left), Arabic & 19th c. Enameled Mosque Lamp (below)
European Paintings 1300 — 1800
The Triumph of Marius, 1729 by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Salvator Mundi, circa 1505 by Albrecht Durer
The Dormition of the Virgin, 1510 by Hans Schaufelein
A Roman Landscape with Figures, circa 1630 by Goffredo Wals
Hermann von Wedigh III, 1532 (above left) & Benedikt von Hertenstein, 1517 by Hans Holbein the Younger
Hugo van der Goes Painting the Portrait of Mary of Burgundy, 1872 by Wilhelm Koller
If you plan to visit New York City and you’re in the mood to see paintings, fortunately you can head to the top of the Met’s Great Hall staircase and enter the 45 galleries devoted to European Paintings. After a five-year renovation project, this suite of galleries dedicated primarily to German, French, British, Italian, Spanish and Netherlandish art has recently reopened, with a few surprises sprinkled into the mix, such as “The Beginning” (below) painted between 1946 and 1949 by Max Beckmann.
Max Beckmann
Japanese Wing
Dainichi, the Cosmic Buddha, 12th century {wood, lacquer, gold leaf} Japan
The Fortune-Teller, circa 1630 by Georges de la Tour
The Mouth of a Cave, 1784 by Hubert Robert & Portrait of a Young Woman as a Vestal Virgin, 1767 by Francois Hubert Drouais
The Death of Socrates, 1787 by Jacques Louis David
French art on display includes The Virgin Annunciate, circa 1500, a limestone sculpture of the Virgin Mary by Jean Guillaumet & Ingres as a Young Man, circa 1850 by Mme Hequet
Hubert Robert’s six Italian landscape paintings commissioned for the family of King Louis XV
Head of a Young Woman & Jean Jacques Caffieri, circa 1765-85 by Jean-Baptiste Greuze
Joanna de Silva, 1792 by William Wood
New British Galleries
The Calmady Children, 1823 by Thomas Lawrence
Mural of Buddha of Medicine (left wall) & Bodhisattva {sandstone sculpture} ca. 550 China
Chinese Garden
Madonna and Child with Saints, 1454 by Giovanni di Paolo
The Triumph of Fame, 1449 by Giovanni Guidi
Madonna and Child, late 1480s by Giovanni Bellini
Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints, circa 1504 (above left) by Raphael & Brother Gregorio Belo of Vicenza, 1547 by Lorenzo Lotto
Paradise, 1598 by Carlo Saraceni
Madonna and Child surrounded by Saints Benedict (left) and Sylvester Gozzolini (right), 1320 by Segna di Buonaventura
The Flight into Egypt, 1664 by Carlo Maratti
Saint Matthew and the Angel, circa 1550 by Giovanni Gerolamo Savoldo
The Crucifixion, circa 1315 (top) by Ugolino da Siena
Head of a Woman, 1903 by Pablo Picasso
Still Life on a Piano, 1911-12 by Pablo Picasso
Portrait of a Man, circa 1650 attributed to Diego Velazquez
The Holy Family with Saints Anne & Catherine of Alexandria, 1648 by José de Ribera
Don Andres de Andrade y la Cal, circa 1665-72 by Bartolome Esteban Murillo
Condesa de Altamira and Her Daughter, 1787-88 (center) by Francisco de Goya
José Costa y Bonells, ca. 1810 & Majas on a Balcony, ca. 1800-10 by Francisco de Goya
The Glorification of the Barbaro Family, 1750 by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
BELOW: The Actor, 1904-05 by Pablo Picasso & The Vision of Saint John, 1608 by El Greco
With a Collection Numbering over 2,000,000 works of art, where to begin at the Met
Portrait of a Woman, circa 1625 by Peter Paul Rubens
The permanent collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art is curated by 17 departments, and the main building on Fifth Avenue in New York City is by area one of the largest art museums in the world.
The Harvesters, 1565 by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
Some departments, housing art from classical antiquity (Greece and Rome) as well as the ancient Near East, for example, cannot compare with stronger collections found in Europe. We therefore recommend you begin with the Met’s impressive holdings of Netherlandish art inside the “European Paintings from 1300 — 1800” galleries.
The Holy Family with Saints Francis and Anne and the Infant Saint John the Baptist, ca. 1635 by Peter Paul Rubens
The Annunciation, circa 1445 by Petrus Christus
The Annunciation, 1506 by Gerard David
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt, ca. 1512 by Gerard David
The Crucifixion and The Last Judgment, circa 1436-38 by Jan van Eyck
The Adoration of the Magi, 1475 by Hieronymus Bosch
Self-Portrait, 1660 by Rembrandt van Rijn
Landscape with a Cottage, 1629 by Pieter de Molijn
Portrait of a Man, 1632 by Rembrandt & Self-Portrait, circa 1620 by Anthony van Dyck
Tommaso di Folco Portinari, circa 1470 by Hans Memling
Two paintings (above) by Johannes Vermeer
Aeneas and the Sibyl in the Underworld, circa 1630 by Jan Brueghel the Younger
After seeing art from Western Europe, Japan, China and Egypt, we decided to view European paintings from the early part of the nineteenth-century (below), when many artists from Scandinavia and France would embark on sojourns to Italy and North Africa for inspiration. We also had a keen interest in seeing stained glass, seascapes, portraits and landscapes by some of the most talented artists from the United States, notably Tiffany, Homer, Twachtman, Sargent and Inness — so we added the American Wing of the museum to our agenda.