Art Talk: 2021 MET Highlight tour

I am of the opinion that the best way to experience a museum is to go a tour. Would you like to join me on a highlights tour of the MET?

Each time I go I learn something new and see parts of the museum I didn't even know existed.

Patio from the castle of Velez Blanco

This was the meeting place for the tour when I went in October. I went to the meeting place early to sit and relax. After awhile I started looking around and I realized what a cool place I was sitting in, it was the patio from a castle from 1500 Spain. There is so much more that I share in this post Art Talk: Patio from the castle of Velez Blanco and Spanish Renaissance architecture

Assyrian Palaces Sculptures

Really, I didn't even know that rooms like this existed in the MET, and I have been a dozen times.

According to the plaque in the MET:

This room is arranged to be like the reception room in the palace of the Assyrian King in 883 BC. the reliefs come from various rooms in the palace. They were excavated during the mid-nineteenth century.

Also from the plaque in the room:

The king can be identified by his crown, is impressive beard, and his position, flanked by two high-ranking courtiers. The relief also shows him participating in a ritual and with a sword, which signifies his role as both a military and religious leader.

Other parts of the throne room

The Denial of Saint Peter

We went through time from 883 BC to 1610. Right when we walked up I thought Caravaggio. Caravaggio has such an amazing and distinct use of light.

Here Caravaggio painted three people standing round right after Jesus was arrested. The light is coming from the left and puts the soldier in the shadow and the woman in half shadow. Peter is exposed. What a masterpiece.

Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi)
The Denial of Saint Peter, 1571-1610
Milan or Caravaggio, Italy

The story comes from the Bible: Luke 22:55-62

When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” Then about an hour later still another kept insisting, “Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about!” At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Tommaso di Folco Portinari and Maria Portinari

When you see these pictures you might think, like I did, "oh that is nice. I wonder why out of all the great art here he chose these pictures". Then you learn a little more about them and they amaze you.

Hans Memling was a very sought after portrait artist in his day. These pictures are believed to be painted for the marriage of the couple. Interesting, it is also believed that it was originally a triptych (3 paintings together) and the virgin and child were in between the couple. You can see the couples piety in their hand gestures and serious face. The cool thing about their hands are that Memling painted a frame and the hands seem to be going past the frame. The other interesting thing is that you can tell Maria's social status and wealth from her necklace and clothing. ¹

Hans Memling
Tommaso di Folco Portinari, 1470
Netherlands

Hans Memling
Maria Portinari, 1470
Netherlands

Abduction of a Sabine Woman

Since this is a statue sitting on a table I wanted to give you some different angles.

After a model by Giambologna
Abduction of a Sabine Woman, 1558-1624
Florence, Italy

Here are other groupings of the Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna I saw when I was in Florence in 2019. One is in the gallery and the other in the plaza. You might notice that in the two pictures below there are 3 people in the pieces.

Later in the MET I saw this painting The Abduction of the Sabine Women by Nicolas Poussin. It was a popular theme. The women in the blue in the lower left looks very similar to the one in the sculpture.

Nicolas Poussin
The Abduction of the Sabine Women, probably 1633-1634
MET New York City

Autumn Landscape

One of my favorite pieces in the museum. I always come back to it, every time. I am amazed at the skill of the artist and the light and texture made by glass.

Attributed to Agnes Northrop for Tiffany Studios
Autumn Landscape, 1923-1924
New York City

I want to learn to do stained glass someday.

Armor Garniture of George Clifford

This is another area of the MET I have never been in the Galleries of Arms and Armor. We specifically looked at George Clifford's armor.

According to the MET:

George Clifford (1558–1605) was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth. He chose for the decoration of this armor the Tudor rose, the French fleur-de-lis (then part of the English arms), and the cipher of Elizabeth, two E’s back to back.

The Cumberland armor is part of a garniture (a set of decorative accessories) for field and tournament use. That is probably one reason why it is still is such good condition. It was made in the royal workshops at Greenwich. ²

Water Stone

This Water Stone was done specifically for the MET by Isamu Noguchi while he was living in Japan. It is interesting to see it from both sides. From one side you have to crouch down and look under a wood screen. From the other side you feel like you are in the garden. The rocks are from the Isuzu River in Japan. The Basalt stone is also from Japan. ³

Isamu Noguchi
Water Stone, 1986

Here you can see the guide looking under the wood screen and a close up of the stone. The water slides off so gently that it is hard to tell there is water with a quick glance. The sound is really great too. I enjoy listening to falling water.

The MET has great art and the building is a work of art too.

It is the largest museum in the United States and one of the largest in the world. It's collection is over 2 million works of art and it 2.2 million square feet. That is astounding! It was built in 1874 in the Beaux-Arts style. It is one of my favorite places! ⁴