The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, aka “the Met”, is the largest art museum in the United States.
Before my first visit there, I heard it is impossible to see all of the art pieces in the museum in just one day. I needed to see it for myself to believe it.
With that in mind, I decided to focus on my favorite types of art, which are European paintings, Arms and Armor, and Egyptian art.
First, I headed to the European paintings department because it was the one I was the most excited about. I was impressed by the sheer amount of quality art works gathered in one place.
Indeed, I wasn’t able to see all of the European paintings in the morning. I walked around the department until 2 p.m. and then took a late lunch.
There was a map but I got lost. I looked for Vermeer’s work but I couldn’t find it, so I asked a curator who was nearby. I was surprised that he knew the exact room number and answered right away, without looking at a map. He wrote the number down and gave it to me.
After Lunch I went to the Egyptian art Department. I was impressed with The Temple of Dendur. The temple was built around 15 BC by Roman Emperor Augustus in the city of Nubia, beside the Nile River.
The construction of the Aswan High Dam by the Egyptian government in 1960 put the temple at risk of submersion.
The US government donated $ 12 million to save the archaeological site. It is said that the Egyptian government sent the Temple of Dendur to the United States to thank them.
After I enjoyed Egyptian art, I went to the Arms and Armor department.
There were over 14,000 objects on display there. Most of them were from Europe, but there was also a Japanese collection. The Met is the only museum in the United States to display Japanese armors from the 10th and 15th centuries.
Some of the arms and armors displayed in the museum were not just for fighting, they also served a more decorative purpose.
There are two types of European armor, one for fighting on the battlefield and another for martial art competitions. For example, the Armor of George Clifford, Count III of Cambridge was made for both purpose, he wore it to fight on the battlefield and take part in competitions.
On the other hand, Japanese armors were only made for the battlefield. But I think the beauty and fineness of their decoration has nothing to envy from European armors. For example, the decoration of one of the Japanese armors, named Armor (Yoroi) of Ashikaga Takauji, after the General that wore it in battle, was amazing.
Fortunately, this armor was not destroyed in battle as Takauji donated it to a temple that kept it safe for hundreds of years. The armor is now on display at the Met, where it serves a purpose it wasn’t designed for, but which allows it to remain for generations to come.
