Metropolitan Museum of Art Overview
– Established on April 13, 1870
– Located at 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
– One of the world’s largest art museums
– Collection size of 2 million works
– Welcomed 3,208,832 visitors in 2022
Collections
– 17 curatorial departments
– Includes works from classical antiquity, ancient Egypt, European masters, African, Asian, Oceanian, Byzantine, and Islamic art
– Musical instruments, costumes, and antique weapons and armor are also part of the collection
Geographically designated collections
– Collection of ancient Near Eastern art
– Collection of arts from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Asian Art
– Collection of Asian art, including works from India, Tamilnadu, and Punjab
– Bronze statues, celestial dancers, and significant sculptures
Renovations and Future Plans
– $70 million renovation of African, ancient American, and Oceanic art galleries
– Renovation of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing’s exhibition space
– Collaboration with designers and professionals to maintain the collection in good condition
Subgroup 1: Islamic Art
– One of the world’s largest collections of Islamic art
– Includes artifacts and works of art from the rise of Islam in the Near East
– Features miniature paintings from Iran and Mughal India
Subgroup 2: Drawings and Prints Collection
– Contains over 17,000 drawings, 1.5 million prints, and 12,000 illustrated books
– Represents major European painters such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Rembrandt
– Curated by Nadine Orenstein
Subgroup 3: Robert Lehman Collection
– Donated by banker Robert Lehman in 1969
– Housed in the Robert Lehman Wing
– Considered one of the most extraordinary private art collections in the US
Subgroup 4: Medieval Art and the Cloisters
– Comprehensive range of Western art from the 4th to the early 16th centuries
– The Cloisters is a separate building dedicated solely to medieval art
Subgroup 5: Modern and Contemporary Art
– Collection includes about 13,000 artworks by European and American artists
– Features iconic works by Picasso, Jasper Johns, Jackson Pollock, and Max Beckmann
Subgroup 6: Musical Instruments
– Collection of about 5,000 instruments from all over the world
– Highlights include Stradivari violins, Asian instruments made from precious metals, and the oldest surviving pianoSources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art
