Museum of the Week: Metropolitan Museum of Art
When I was gainfully employed, I used to pay the $20 suggested admission fee to get into the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue @ 82nd Street) all the time. So, in times of hardship, I don’t feel too bad occasionally paying less (the admission is, after all, suggested for such reasons). The cashiers may give you a indignant look, but ignore them, clip that Met Museum pin on, and forge along. Both today and yesterday, my intention was to pay $5.
Metropolitan Museum of Art. (c) Alaina Morgan, 2009.
The truth is a person could write a infinite amount of pieces on the Met. And that’s probably just on the permanent collection. Plus, there are always special exhibitions that are constantly rotating, and items that are being borrowed from other world renowned institutions and private collections.
I was originally going to write part of this post on the special exhibition they have going on entitled the Model as Muse which chronicles the development and evolution of couture fashion and fashion photography. Since I showed up at the Met yesterday 45 minutes before it was going to close, I had to pick an exhibit to see quickly and that’s the first one that drifted across my eye from the list of Special Exhibitions. But then after I got kicked out in the middle of the exhibit and had to figure out what to see when I went back today, I figured out that I actually care very little about this topic.
(c) Alaina Morgan, 2009.
So instead today I picked one of my old favorites, and two special exhibitions. And I managed to zip through them in just under 2.5 hours.
Scenes from the Legend of Saint Vincent of Saragossa and the History of His Relics. (c) Alaina Morgan, 2009
I can’t resist a medieval castle (and yes, I do love Medieval Times), so I started with the Medieval Art room, which tends to be one of my favorites at any museum, and is especially so at the Met.
Virgin and Child. (c) Alaina Morgan, 2009.
I’m a fan of medieval art for many reasons, one of which being that I was a religion major in college, so anything having to do with religion appeals to me. Quite literally, almost all medieval art comes from churches and/or depicts religious or biblical scenes. But, it also appeals to me because the subject of the art is so somber, and yet, the medium is so often decadent (ex: stained glass, ornate church facades, gilded triptychs). A similar contrast lies in the unbridled decadence of the Church at that time, contrasted with the extreme poverty prevalent throughout medieval Europe. Two of my favorites in this room are: Scenes from the Legend of Saint Vincent of Saragossa and the History of His Relics (Pot Metal Glass, vitreous paint, and lead), French, from the Lady Chapel of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Paris, c. 1245-47; and Virgin and Child, Claus de Werve, (limestone with paint and gilding), French, from the Franciscan convent of the Poor Clares, Poligny, Burgundy, c. 1415-17.
Scenes from the Legend of Saint Vincent of Saragossa and the History of His Relics. (c) Alaina Morgan, 2009.
Along the same lines, upstairs I browsed a special exhibition entitled Pen and Parchment: Drawing in the Middle Ages (now through August 23rd, 2nd Floor). The exhibit held illuminated texts starting chronologically from 800 A.D. and ending in the mid-1400s. Although the earlier texts were limited to illuminations of scripture, later works included illustrated texts and encyclopedias, including a consanguinity chart, and an anatomy text. The last room contained the earliest surviving architectural designs, Facade of Strasbourg Cathedral (“Plan A1″), 1269,
I then went on to see the Napoleon III and Paris Exhibition (now through September 9th, 2nd Floor) which displayed pictures of Paris in the early 1800s, at a time when it was more like New York circa 1985 than the swanky metropolitan city it is today. The exhibit chronicles Napoleon III’s attempts to start public works during the latter part of his ruling years, including the New Louvre, the widening of the now Champs-Elysees and the installation of hundreds of street lamps, making Paris literally the city of lights by the 1850s. Napoleon III, not to be confused with Napoleon I (Bonaparte) was the last monarch of the Second French Empire, and the First President of the Second French Republic.
The exhibit is remarkable in that photography was just becoming popular at this time, and these photographers were able to capture Paris in the midst of its transformation. Looking at the pictures frankly reminds me a little of looking at pictures of old New York in the 1800s versus the present. It even reminds me, to be a little more contemporary, of looking at pictures of New York 20 years ago, before the gentrification of many neighborhoods.
Nevertheless, I felt that there was something missing in the exhibit. What happened to all of the people who were displaced because of these projects? Perhaps there is no answer to this question — civil and human rights were not a big concern in the late 1800s.
My dad always warned me not to be that girl who closes down the bar. But what does it say about you when you’re that girl who closes down the Met two nights in a row? Like deja vu, just like the night before, fifteen minutes before close, at 8:45 PM on the dot, I was promptly ejected from the galleries, and burped into the Great Hall.
Dos and Don’ts:
- Don’t be guilted into paying the full suggested admission if you can’t afford it. The suggested admission is just that, suggested. I wouldn’t suggest throwing down a quarter, but donate what you think is reasonable. Thanks for this tip to my friend and ex-coworker, Christine, who told me the story of her ex-professor who repeatedly plunked down a penny on class trips to the Met (please don’t do this, I’m just bringing it up as a matter of reference).
- Do check to see if you have any student discounts that would eliminate a suggested admission in any case. All students of NYC Public schools, and university students at Columbia University, for example can get in “free”. (I use epileptic bunnies around the word “free” as we just discussed the concept of suggested admission in the previous point.)
- Do give yourself adequate time to see what you want to see. The museum galleries actually close 15 minutes before the times posted on the website, so factor that into your decision.
- Don’t try to go browsing under time pressure. If you show up 45 minutes before the museum actually closes you can get in without paying, however, it is probably more stress than it is worth. Only do this if you have one specific thing that you know you need to see and you know exactly where it is.
- Do try to go on a Museum tour. They’re completely free, and they’re different every day. Even the Museum highlights tour, which has the same title every day is actually different because the volunteer who gives the tour picks the highlights that interest them most. No two tours are ever the same. Pick up a schedule from the information desk, or check here.
- Do recycle! Give back your museum admission pin when you’re done at the Met, unless you’re going over to the Cloisters. You’ll help them keep costs down in the future.
Hours and Information:
Hours
Monday: Closed (Except Holiday Mondays)
Tuesday–Thursday: 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 9:30 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Sunday: 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Address
1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street
New York, New York 10028-0198
Information: 212.535.7710
TTY: 212.570.3828
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