Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as The Met, is located on the eastern edge of Central Park in New York City, USA. The wide range of displays recognised the museum as one of the largest in the world.

It was established in 1870 with the support of the American citizens including businessmen, financiers, famous artists and thinkers of the day. Their main purpose in creating the museum was to serve as an educational centre for all the American people.

On February 20, 1872, the museum was officially opened at 681 Fifth Avenue in New York City. For its first president was appointed John Taylor Johnston. Luigi Palma di Cesnola became the museum’s first director. The publisher George Palmer Putnam served as museum’s founding Superintendent and the artist Eastman Johnson was considered as Co-Founder of the museum.

In 2007 the size of the museum was already 20 times bigger than it was in 1880, occupying over two million square feet and a length of nearly quarter mile.

The Metropolitan Museum holds art collection from classical antiquity, Ancient Egypt, American and modern art, African, Asian, Oceanic, Byzantine and Islamic art, collections of musical instruments, costumes, accessories, antique weapons and armor as well as a number of paintings and sculptures from almost all the European masters.

Egyptian art is represented by more than 36,000 displays from the Paleolithic era through the Roman era. Among the most significant of them is a set of 24 wooden models of boats, gardens and scenes depict the Egyptian daily life in the early Middle Kingdom. Here is also the Temple of Dendur as well as one of the oldest item a set of Archeulian flints from Deir-el-Bahri.

The American decorative arts department is consisted of about 12,000 displays from the late 17th to the early 20th century. Here is the amazing collection of American stained glass including pieces by Louis Comfort Tiffany, the silver collection represents by a great number of pieces by Paul Revere and also many works by Tiffany & Co.

The Modern art galleries host a collection of Picasso’s portrait of Gertrude Stein, Jasper John’s White Flag, Max Beckmann’s triptych Beginning, Jackson Pollock’s Autumn Rhythm as well as forty paintings by Paul Klee.

The Asian Art collection contains over 60,000 items among which are displays of Chinese calligraphy and paintings, Nepalese and Tibetan works as well as a Ming Dynasty-style garden court.

The Islamic art department includes a collection of miniature paintings from Iran and Mughal India, ceramics and textiles items, different styles of calligraphy and a number of interior pieces representing the renovated Nur Al-Din Room from an early 18th century house in Damascus.

Among the most interesting musical displays at the Met museum are the collections of Stradivari violins and Asian instruments made from precious metals as well as the oldest piano, a 1720 model by Bartolomeo Cristofori.

The department of Arms and Armor is one of the museum’s largest collections. It consist weapons and armor from dynastic Egypt, the Roman Empire, the ancient Greece, Near East, Africa, Oceania as well as variety of items belonged to kings and princes such as Henry VIII of England, Henry II of France and Ferdinand I of Germany.

The museum has paintings by Monet, Cézanne, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Gogh, Georges de La Tour, El Greco, Botticelli and many more.

The European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection is house to more than 50,000 displays, mainly focused on Renaissance sculpture and decoration.

Address:
Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
Fifth Ave at 82nd Street
New York
10028-0198
United States

Tel: 212 535 7710