One of the world’s great art museums, the
Metropolitan is a veritable collection of museums, spanning 5,000 years
of culture from every part of the globe. Each of its specialized
galleries holds an abundance of treasures. It was founded in 1870 by a
group who wanted to create a great art institution in America, and began
with three private European collections and 174 paintings. The present
holdings number over two million. The original 1880 Gothic Revival
building by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould has been expanded many
times. Recent additions include courts with huge windows overlooking
Central Park.
1000 5th Ave at 82nd St 212 535 7710
www.metmuseum.org
Open 9:30am–5:30pm Tue–Thu & Sun, 9:30am–9pm Fri & Sat (galleries cleared 15 mins before closing time) Adults $20, seniors $15, students $10, children under 12 and members free
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The Costume Institute
and Robert Lehman Collection are on the ground floor. The 1st floor
includes the American Wing, European Sculpture and Decorative Arts,
Egyptian Art, and Greek and Roman galleries; the 2nd floor has European
Paintings, and 19th-Century European Paintings and Sculpture.
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Entrance, Metropolitan Museum of Art
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There is a cafeteria, bar (Fri & Sat), and two cafés inside. The Roof Garden Café is accessed from the first floor.
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If time is short, the
European Paintings on the second floor, Egyptian Art on the first, and
the American Wing will give you a sense of the greatness of this
enormous institution.
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Weekend evenings are less crowded and offer the advantage of bar service and live music.
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Top 10 ExhibitsEuropean Painting The
museum’s 2,500 Old Master and 19th-century European paintings form one
of the greatest collections in the world and include many instantly
recognizable masterpieces. Special strengths include the Rembrandts and
Vermeers, and the many Impressionist and Post-Impressionist canvases. Egyptian Art The
largest collection of Egyptian art outside Cairo includes masks,
mummies, statues, jewelry, the Tomb of Perneb, and the spectacular
Temple of Dendur, c.15B.C., reassembled as it appeared on the banks of
the Nile. Michael C. Rockefeller Wing Masks,
wooden sculpture, gold and silver ornaments, Pre-Columbian gold,
ceramics and stone from Mexico and Peru, and works of art from the Court
of Benin in Nigeria are highlights among 1,600 objects of primitive art
covering 3,000 years, and three continents. American Wing Tiffany
glass, paintings, and period rooms from the 17th to 20th centuries.
Undergoing restoration; check ahead which sections are open.
Robert Lehman Collection This
extraordinary private collection, includes Renaissance masters, Dutch,
Spanish and French artists, Post-Impressionists and Fauvists, plus
ceramics and furniture. Costume Institute Women’s
fashions from ballgowns to mini-skirts, and menswear from the French
courts to the present day; annual shows draw the crowds. Asian Art The most comprehensive collection in the West features paintings, sculpture, ceramics, and textiles. Lila Wallace Wing The Metropolitan has a growing display of art from 1900 to the present day, with works from Picasso to Jackson Pollock. European Sculpture and Decorative Arts One
of the museum’s largest collections reflects the development of art in
Western Europe, and includes architectural settings, French and English
period rooms, tapestries, and sculptures by Rodin and Degas.
Roof Garden From
May to October the Iris and B. Cantor Roof Garden boasts outstanding
annual displays of 20th-century sculpture. The garden also offers a fine
opportunity to enjoy a drink with a peerless view of Central Park and
the surrounding skyline.
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